We're the Band
by machwave
Summary: A Post3I, AU, WAFFy, story about our favorite teens forming a band and the associated trials of growing up and trying to be normal teens. Now, other forces are at work trying to destroy their happiness. SxA, TxH, Kx?, Rx? I'm back and an update is one the way! Patience, grasshoppers . . .
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I'm only going to say this once – I don't own these characters or the Anime they come from. Nor do I own the any of the movies or songs (music and lyrics) referenced and/or quoted here. This is for FUN (dang it).

"**We're The Band"**

** Prologue **

_Shores of the Sea of LCL_

The world in which Asuka and Shinji found themselves having returned from the aborted Third Impact was still but not quite stagnant. Time had no meaning to them as they found themselves in a perpetual twilight under the strange visions of Rei and the other various pieces of the near catastrophe.

As each sat for a moment struggling with their inner demons, they knew that it was only them. Although Rei had promised Shinji others could and would return if they had the will, Shinji, and too a certain extent Asuka as well, knew that no one else had yet returned. It was as if some decision or event had to occur.

As if on cue, they turned to each other and said,

"Shinji?" "Asuka?"

Those simple queries were the genesis of a long series of initially tentative and, at times, very difficult and emotional conversations. At various times, there was screaming or strained silence or crying or sympathy. Ultimately, there was empathy and understanding which, in turn, led to the declaration of love and commitment that they so desperately wanted.

_Later – Their Old Apartment_

Shinji and Asuka awoke on the couch having made their way back to their old apartment, exhausted but amazed that it was still mostly habitable. It took a few moments, but they finally noticed that the sun was actually shining and that the perpetual twilight that they had suffered with had faded.

_Much Later – Their Old Apartment_

Shinji had brought along the guitar they had found on the beach and was idly strumming chords as he tried to duplicate some of the songs he had heard. Asuka had stretched out on the couch reading a book in the bright sunshine streaming through windows with her feet resting on Shinji's legs and her feet idly swinging in time with his strumming. They had finally reached a point where they were comfortable with each other and had learned to enjoy time together.

"I'M HOME!" roared Misato as she slammed the door shut behind her.

"AAAGGGHHHHH!" came the startled response from the teens on the couch.

"Misato!" screamed Shinji and Asuka as they ran to embrace their guardian. It was a surprising and touching reunion. As they began to recount to each other the crazed events leading up to the aborted Third Impact, Shinji and Asuka realized that nearly everyone who could return was returning as the world began again and that their time alone had passed.

_Later on the Night of Misato's Return_

The phone had been ringing off the hook as all their friends were calling them and each other to find out who had come back. In this cacophony of sound and fury, Shinji found Misato on the balcony quietly looking up at the stars. Closing the door to the apartment and shutting out the noise of Asuka on the phone, Shinji asked, "Misato? Am I interrupting?"

"Hmmm? Oh, no. I was just thinking about our return from the sea of LCL and how that will probably change a lot of things. What did you want?"

"I wanted to give this back to you and to say thank you," replied Shinji. He opened his hand to reveal Misato's silver cross bathed in moonlight.

Misato gave a sharp gasp as she recognized the object. With a shaking hand, she retrieved her cross from the boy and put it back on. Sniffling a little, Misato pulled a startled Shinji into a fierce bear hug and whispered into his ear, "No, Shinji. Thank you."

Easing her hug, she said to the boy, "Did you want me to keep the rest of my promise?"

Shinji, despite having started a spine, blushed furiously and beat a hasty retreat back into the apartment.

_A Few Weeks Later – A Mostly Normal Weekend_

Asuka and Shinji were back to their usual position on the couch and the same activities. School was scheduled to start in a month as the city was getting itself back to normal. Misato had gone in to NERV as they were working to re-integrate into the larger government infrastructure having been a rogue organization for so long.

A knock at the door brought Asuka up off the couch. Shinji merely kept playing the song he had just started as he heard Hikari, Toji, and Kensuke come through the door. The small group of friends was frozen in shock that the strumming guitar sounds were coming from Shinji. They knew from Asuka that he played the cello, but had absolutely no idea he possessed any other musical skills. There was nothing to do but to interrupt his playing and demand the whole story from him.

Shinji, unused to the onslaught, stammered responses and was obviously growing increasingly agitated at the questioning from his friends. To Asuka, the problem was obvious. Shinji was trying to hold back the post-Third Impact story of their time together and their relationship. To skilled gossip mongers like Kensuke and Hikari, this was like throwing blood into shark infested waters. They just knew there was more and the pressure just kept up. With a sigh, Asuka went over to Shinji, moved the guitar out of the way, and sat down on his lap sliding an arm around his waist to try and get him to relax. Of course, this little action was like setting off an N2 mine in the living room.

Hikari proceeded to ask all her questions of Asuka and both Kensuke and Toji were unconscious on the floor. Asuka, for her part, told her the abridged version of their relationship leaving out the post-Third Impact twilight time suspicions. As Toji and Kensuke regained consciousness, they began to babble about their own musical talents, mostly to keep their minds off of the relationship between the Demon and their friend.

Having mostly recovered from the verbal onslaught, Shinji proposed the idea that the three of them should form a band to have a little fun before school started . . .

* * *

**_Author's Parting Shots_** – I really wasn't all that happy with my original attempt because it seemed too short and very disjointed, so I revised it to give a little more information yet still keep the flashbacks in later chapters relevant. I did leave out the whole story of Rei's arrival and relationship announcement on purpose since I plan to make that a chapter in the future. 


	2. Setup and Warmup

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 1: Set-up and Warm Up **

_Day of the Dance, Afternoon, Tokyo-3 Metropolitan Junior High School Gymnasium_

The decorating committee was in full swing, bustling about the gym like honeybees on crack. Most of them had been excused from the last hour of class to begin transforming the shabby gym into a teenage approximation of a dance club.

In this sea of noise and activity, behind the stage curtain, six friends worked at setting up instruments and electronics as the opening act of the dance.

"Aida-kun, the cabling is complete. Here is the final connector," announced Rei in a voice that brought startled glances from everyone and raised eyebrows from her newly announced brother, Shinji. That voice held none of the usual monotone, but did hold the energy and excitement of the 14 year old girl that she was. Unnoticed amid the other surprises, was a beet red Kensuke who, for the first time in his life, had been referred to in something other than contempt by a girl. _Hehe, maybe this rock band idea of Shinji's won't turn out to be so bad after all . . ._ thought the otaku.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" asked Rei to the startled faces around her as a blushing Kensuke took the cable end from her hand.

"No, no, sis," responded Shinji waving his hands. "I think we're all still trying to come to grips with all of the recent changes in our lives. We're just not used to you being so . . . extroverted."

While the changes to Rei's previously emotionless expression were small, they spoke volumes to the Second and Third Children who had spent many hours around her. Those changes practically screamed the exasperation and annoyance a teenage girl could have with a brainless brother.

"Are you saying that this emotional transformation is a bad thing, brother?" declared Rei with a hint of threat to, a now sweating, Shinji.

"HAHA! Your devil girlfriend is rubbing off on your sister, Shin-man! eerp" guffawed Toji until the steel fingers of the class rep tightened on his ear even before a certain, volatile red-head could barbeque him.

"_SUZAHARA!_ Apologize!" growled Hikari from behind the drum riser, her grip on Toji's ear tightening and twisting.

"uhhh . . . ow . . . ok, ok, ease up Hikari-chan. Sorry Rei and Asuka," grumbled Toji. He went back to setting up his drum kit once Hikari released the grip of death on his ear. Hikari, Rei, and Asuka shared a triumphant grin as they once again proved their control and superiority over the stooges.

Kensuke just shook his head as he finished connecting his lap top to the control board. Turning to Rei, "Ayanami, I'm going to initiate the test control sequence on the lights. Could you make sure that they all turn on and off in sequence?"

"Ok. Back soon," winked Rei as she disappeared through the stage curtain.

Shinji sighed quietly and thanked all the good forces in the universe for having saved him from the wrath of his sister who had indeed been taking relationship queues from Asuka. At that thought, he made a surreptitious glance over at her. She had just finished setting up the microphone stand and had turned to look at him also. Caught peeking, he blushed and thought that there were downsides to synch training. Asuka gave him a quick wink and smile to show that she forgave him and went to back to closing the bag that held the sound equipment.

Finished connecting his effects pedals to the control head of his amp, Shinji was just starting to re-tune his guitar when the reality that he was going to be performing in front of the entire school and faculty came crashing down on his still fragile psyche. The nervousness and other symptoms commonly known as "stage fright" began to manifest. His hands began to shake causing the notes to warble as he tried to tune his guitar. His breathing began to quicken and shallow as his eyes unfocused. On the verge of a full blown panic attack, he struggled to get control of himself. It wasn't until Asuka cupped his face in her hands and turned it to allow her eyes to look directly into his that he was able to fully regain control of himself.

"Baka-kun." Hearing her pet name for him, Shinji's eyes refocused and he took a deep breath.

"You'll be fine. After all, you are the Invincible Shinji – Axe God, and, more importantly, my boyfriend," declared Asuka. "Besides, you can always just step on the school in Unit-01 during the next tests as punishment." At this, Shinji gave a small nod and took another deep breath.

"Thanks Asuka-chan. It just hit me all of a sudden," responded Shinji.

"Shinji, I've heard you practice for weeks now. You guys are good, and it'll be fine,"

"Yeah. It's just the anticipation that gets to me," sighed Shinji.

To this, Asuka moved closer, close enough that he could feel the heat from her face on his.

In a breathy whisper, "You mean like this?"

The slight hesitation received the desired reaction, and Shinji, unable to deal with the tension, ended it by closing the distance between them and gave her the kiss she had wanted.

"Hey you two! Get a room!" bellowed Toji from his now completed drum kit.

Quicker than Hikari's fingers to Toji's ear or Asuka's ear-splitting shriek of protest, Shinji broke the kiss, shot his friend a look and said, "What a way to break the mood! I don't go interrupting your lunches with Hikari, do I?"

Toji stiffened with surprise as Asuka giggled and thought, _That's MY Baka. I'm definitely training him well._ Then, as the shock wore off, Toji laughed along with Kensuke and Hikari.

Yes, much had changed amongst the close group of friends.

Rei pushed her way through the heavy stage curtains. "The light controls work in a satisfactory manner, and it is now time to start."

Asuka and Hikari took a peek through the curtain and saw that, indeed, the gym had filled not only with students but faculty as well. It was a bit of a novelty to have a student band play, and many of the staff were both curious and a little apprehensive at what exactly the trio would play.

_Gym Floor_

The crack high had worn off the decorating committee and they sighed in satisfaction at their decorating prowess. Welcome back banners were up along with pictures of all of the students including the new ones. Streamers looped in from various places in the room, and they had scored a disco ball from the drama department's prop room. They had some decorated tables for the food committee to lay their goodies out on along with balloons and other odds and ends.

Snippets of conversations could be heard among the gathering students:

" . . . Ikari plays guitar? . . . What kind of music . . . do they have orange soda . . . who else is in the band . . . wonder if she'll dance with me . . . "

As with most dances, the genders had self-selected, and there were groups of boys and groups of girls, but no groups of both sexes. The staff looked on at the scene that had been repeated at every dance the school had held for as long as they could remember. They wouldn't have to begin actively chaperoning the students until MUCH later in the evening.

_NERV Command Center_

Misato's watch began to beep an angry and insistent sequence until silenced by the groggy Sub-Commander. Curious looks from Aoba and Maya brought Misato back to the world of the wakeful.

"Hey, it's time! Punch up the live surveillance video Section 2 has of the junior high gym!" declared Misato.

Aoba turned to comply, but Maya raised an eyebrow. "Why? What's going on?"

"Don't you remember? Tonight's the night of the Welcome Back Dance and Shinji and his band are the opening act!"

"That's right! This'll be great! We either get good live entertainment, huge amounts of teasing material, or both! Anything to deal with these marathon shifts."

"Maya, you sound just like Ritsuko! Aoba, don't forget to run the recorders!"

_Backstage_

"Ok, Rei, Hikari, let's go find a good spot!" announced Asuka taking charge, of course. "See you guys after the set – and NO GROUPIES!"

Kensuke, Toji, and Shinji gave little waves good bye as the girls made their way to the front of the stage and laughed as they heard Rei ask Asuka, "What are 'groupies'?"

With that, the trio began to warm up - Toji with some drum riffs as he loosened up his wrists and legs, Kensuke with some keyboard scales and chords, Shinji also with chords, scales and riffs. They checked volume and mix, ending with a short little ditty to make sure that the monitors were up and running.

Hikari had come back up during warm-ups and seeing that they had mostly finished, "Guys, you're on. Start when you're ready." With that, she hurried back to where Asuka and Rei were waiting with some of the other girls in their class.

They moved to their stage locations and Shinji looked at them and said, "Let's do this."

Author's Notes and reflection: Well, first real chapter of my first fanfic is done! Hope I didn't damage any of you too severely. I do know that it's pretty short and I moved this pretty fast. Hopefully, later chapters will have a better pacing. Let me know the psychic damage and I'll try for different problems 


	3. Eruption and Love

**Author's Notes:** Thanks to everyone who provided reviews, encouragement, concerns, and just down right annoyance at my having taken too many liberties with their beloved anime. I tried to send messages back to everyone who took time to comment both publicly and in private. Before we get started, remember the disclaimers and story warnings in the Prologue.

Now, on with the show . . .

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 2: Eruption and Love **

_Gym Floor_

The students milling about in the crowd moved in a Brownian motion understood only by other teens, but three specific girls stood near the stage as they waited for the festivities to start.

"What's taking them so long?" huffed a tense Asuka – the most dangerous kind of Asuka.

"I don't know. I told them that we're ready for them. I'm kinda worried about how they're going to use my voice," responded Hikari eyeing both Asuka and the restless crowd at the same time. Hikari, in truth, was really tense. The boys had been pretty tight lipped about what their introduction was really going to be. At various times over the last couple of weeks, all three girls had learned small pieces of the introduction and had tried to pry more out of the boys with no success. Even Asuka's considerable control over Shinji had produced nothing more than "It's supposed to be a surprise."

"_Your_ voice?" asked Asuka with an arched eyebrow.

"Yeah, Kensuke asked me to record a voice over saying something about needing a 'recognized voice of school authority'," fidgeted Hikari.

"Hmmph," was Asuka's only reply as anything else was overcome by events . . .

_Stage_

The stooges moved to their stage locations and Shinji looked at them and said, "Let's do this."

Nodding his head, Kensuke triggered the intro script.

_Tokyo-3 Junior High School Dance Club_

The lights dropped and the stage spots began to fire in random sequences. After a moment of the visual onslaught, pulsing electronic music from pre-Second Impact American Professional Basketball arenas roared across a sea of upturned student faces rapidly looking around the gym to see everything at once. A slight smile formed on the face of a bemused Rei who had a random thought that all of the students looked like baby birds at feeding time in the nest with their mouths opening and closing rapidly looking around for their mothers with worms.

Suddenly, Hikari's pre-recorded voice boomed out – amplified and modified by Kensuke's audio software, "WELLLLCOOOMMEEE BACK, Students of Tokyo-3 Junior High School! We hope you enjoy tonight's entertainment, and without further ado, _Tres Clowns_."

_Quick Cut to the NERV Command Center_

"Quick everyone! They're starting!" yelled Aoba over the NERV command net. He was now streaming the video on a standard NERV feed making it available to all workstations within NERV.

The pulsing electronic intro boomed from the command center speakers as a predatory gleam manifested in a certain guardian's eyes.

_Tokyo-3 Junior High School Dance Club_

Unnoticed in the electronic barrage of the introduction, the stage curtains had opened. In the dim light _Tres Clowns_ had readied themselves. As Hikari's voice died away, the intro script waited patiently for its next queue.

A thunderous couple of notes from Toji's drum kit, then all of the stage lights bathed them in a blazing white with the gym lights going off completely. These opening notes were instantly recognized by the older faculty members – at least the ones who had a life back when they were teens – it was Van Halen's "Eruption", the quintessential guitar opening. All heads in the gym turned to the stage in shock as Shinji began the guitar hit's opening chords. Rei, Hikari, and Asuka shared a quick shared glance – this was NOT the opening that they had talked about on the set list. They had never discussed "Eruption" as a possibility. Asuka remembered that Shinji used to play some of the harder riffs as warm-ups but couldn't remember ever hearing him play the entire solo.

The first couple of bars roared from his amplifiers and Shinji stood nearly motionless. As the opening bars melded into the high speed, baroque feel section, Shinji began to work the stage as Asuka taught him . . .

_Flashback_

Asuka had watched Shinji practice for the last thirty minutes. He had the music down, but he just wasn't very entertaining. Watching him speculatively, Shinji suddenly looked up and had that same fear in his eyes when he knew he was in for a beating but didn't know what for. Snapping her fingers, she knew what was wrong.

"Shinji-kun, you play well but you're not _performing_. Work the stage and the audience. Geez, haven't you ever seen a music video before?" announced Asuka.

Shinji looked back at her, unsure if he was relieved at not being on the receiving end of another slap or upset at being criticized. He chose correctly and relaxed in relief of another beating avoided, but still had a confused look on his face, obviously not understanding what Asuka was talking about.

"_Mein Gott._ Watch. If I sing the passage you were just working on but stand still, it's boring right?" To which Asuka, in her clear soprano, did just that. "But, if I dance a little or even move a little to the music, it's much more entertaining, right?" And again, she demonstrated.

Shinji clearly understood, but the newly grown vertebrae, while still hardening, provided some support for the following sly comment, "But, Asuka, you're _always_ interesting to watch."

"Hentai," she said without much energy behind it, "Flattery will get you everywhere, but do you understand?" sighed Asuka after a quick kiss to the cheek. At Shinji's nod, "So, show me." And he did, for the rest of the afternoon.

_End Flashback_

As the first passage worked towards conclusion, Shinji grabbed the whammy bar and hit the big waahs rocking in time with the changes in pitch he was creating. Oddly, he had yet to look up at the audience. He hit the tense silent area in the middle of the solo, and this broke the crowd in the gym out of their stunned silence.

Rei, Asuka, and Hikari were driven to center stage, front by a tide of screaming teenage girls and awestruck boys. In fact, the only thing that silenced the high pitched screaming (you know the sound that can only be generated by a young girl and heard by dogs), was Shinji looking up and starting the second passage of the solo.

His right pinky had yet to release the chrome whammy bar which flashed in the stage lights as the notes ripped from his strings. Shinji began to move closer to the front of the stage and as he reached the edge, he released the whammy bar in a flash and began to hammer on the fret board creating the haunting, classical sounding section. Quickly capturing the whammy bar again, he cranked out the last fading notes of the Eddie Van Halen's famous "Hey, I was just warming up" solo.

As the sound died away, a quick scan of the faces witnessed to this display said volumes.

Rei: approval and a bit of confusion having never really been exposed to something like this.

Asuka: Pride and love, but just a hint of annoyance that Shinji had kept the intro a secret.

Hikari: Relief that the stooges hadn't done anything embarrassing with her voice

NERV Command Center and the students and faculty of Tokyo-3 Junior High: wide-eyed shock

But, everyone caught the transformation of Shinji from shy student to rock band front man and the message had been delivered from his guitar as surely as a Viking war trumpet:

_Hear ye all, near and far, the Axe God cometh and that right soon._

The sonic reprieve was short lived as Kensuke triggered the next MIDI program and a pulsing electronic dub quickly grew in volume and with some quick changes to his effects pedals, Shinji began the opening chords of Van Halen's "Why Can't This Be Love" and as Toji began the driving drum licks, Shinji stepped up to the microphone and in a surprisingly powerful voice belted out:

_Oh here it comes again_

_That funny feelin' again winding me up inside_

_Every time we touch_

_Hey I don't know_

_Just tell me where to begin cause I never ever_

_Felt so much_

_No I can't recall any love at all_

_Baby this blows 'em all away_

During the first verse and chorus, Shinji's eyes had scanned over the crowd of students jumping up and down in time with the music. An interesting dynamic was emerging. Shinji's inner strength, normally only present during playing his cello or in Eva, was again lighting up. This emotional charge hit everyone who was looking up at his face as he looked at the crowd searching for something, and it generated wildly different reactions. Among most of the boys, a feeling of awe and a little jealousy washed over them. It was an almost primitive reaction to an Alpha male establishing dominance, and they were acknowledging his supremacy, however temporary, during the music.

For the girls, it was almost like he had made eye contact with each one of them, and that he was now singing to them personally. In fact, this triggered another round of screaming and another crush towards the stage.

Rei, Asuka, and Hikari had heard this before. They had felt it before during practice sessions. But, what they weren't prepared for was the reaction of the crowd. They knew the boys were good, but this was just amazing.

For Shinji, however, he was oblivious to most of this. He was really looking for one face in particular. Eyes drawn right down front to a mass of fiery hair, he locked eyes on a familiar set of startlingly blue eyes, and it was then that Asuka knew. He was, really, only singing to her, and this brought a blush to her cheeks.

_It's got what it takes_

_So tell me why can't this be love_

_Straight from my heart oh tell me why_

_Can't this be love_

_I tell myself_

_Hey only fools rush in an only time will tell_

_If we stand the test of time_

_All I know_

_You've got to run to win an I'll be damned if_

_I'll get hung up on the line_

In the NERV Command Center, the volume of the concert had been turned up to nearly deafening levels. Aoba and Maya had triggered off some spontaneous dancing - Aoba having harbored a secret crush on Maya, and Maya a secret love of Van Halen tunes.

Misato had leaned back in her chair enjoying the live concert, her mind running various teasing scenarios for a certain brown haired boy.

_No I can't recall any love at all_

_Baby this blows 'em all away_

_It's got what it takes_

_So tell me why can't this be love_

_Straight from my heart oh tell me why_

_Can't this be love_

It was during the instrumental section that the emotions within Rei bubbled over. The feelings were all new to her and she was no longer able to keep tight reign on them. An excited, "SHINJI-KUN!" erupted from her startling both Hikari and Asuka who both stopped dancing and turned their heads to stare at Rei as if she had grown a second head.

This eruption did have an unintended consequence. The virus had spread throughout all of the younger girls and they began to all scream "Shinji-kun!" much to Asuka's consternation.

Shinji momentarily stepped back from the stage edge as a forest of hands erupted, reaching for him screaming "Shinji-kun! Oh, Shinji-kun, look at me!" He decided to move back to the center where a clearing in the forest centered on Asuka, Rei, and Hikari. Besides, the emotional high he felt was really fueled by one person and he instinctively returned to that source.

From the drum riser, Toji had watched this with the same kind of morbid fascination someone watches a toddler taking their first steps and beginning to wobble. You know they're going to fall and that you should reach out to steady them, but you don't because you're wondering if they're going to miraculously recover. Oddly, he felt relieved as Shinji moved away from the temptation of the forest of hands and back to where his girlfriend was. Toji didn't necessarily like Asuka, but for his friend's happiness, he knew where Shinji needed to be and what he should be doing. He leaned into the microphone suspended over his riser to sing the backup chorus.

Kensuke watched all of this with just awe. He had harbored a secret hero worship of Shinji for a while, but this was almost more than he could handle. However, he did notice some faces looking at him in a speculative manner. _Hehe, maybe I'll have some groupies of my own . . ._

But, within NERV, a pair of hands steepled inside a curtain of purple hair and a nefarious giggle emerged along with an astonishingly girlish, "Oh yes, Shinji-kun."

_It's got what it takes_

_So tell me why can't this be love_

_Straight from my heart oh tell me why_

_Can't this be love_

_Tell me why can't this be love_

_Baby why can't this be love_

_Got to know why can't this be love_

_I wanna know why can't this be love_

As the final notes died away in the amplifiers, cheering and applause erupted from the crowd of students in front of the stage and polite clapping from the staff around the walls of the gym. A few catcalls and whistles could be heard in the Command Center, but mostly just the ringing in the ears from the volume levels.

Shinji put the stand microphone back by Toji's riser and put on the headset mic.

"Hi everyone. Thanks for the generous response. That was "Eruption" and "Why Can't This Be Love" from Van Halen. Thanks to Misato for finding the tunes for us." Taking a quick sip from the water bottle Asuka had left for him, Shinji continued, "We're _Tres Clowns_, and before everyone despairs that we're going to only play tunes from forty years ago, we've got something more like a dance tune for you. So, grab someone to dance with."

As the band started to ready for the next tune, a boy moved to where Asuka, Rei, and Hikari had obviously been solo dancing to the band in front of the stage. Sliding up between Asuka and Hikari, he put a hand on the stage and asked Asuka if she wanted to dance. A variety of reactions came from the circle of friends. Shinji's face became stoic as he moved towards the edge of the stage and Toji was enraged at someone pushing his new girlfriend out of a prime spot to watch the concert. Shinji nodded to Toji, and with that Toji began counting off "Dance, Dance" by Fall Out Boy. Just as Asuka wound up to smack the interloper, the first notes of the tune began to roar from the amplifiers like an angry Eva, and Shinji's foot landed on the interfering boy's hand causing his knees to buckle from the pain. Unfortunately for Asuka, this took his head out of the path of her hand and her slap missed. The boy looked up with pleading eyes at Shinji as Shinji ignored him for another couple of bars idly grinding his foot into the boy's hand. Shinji then turned a hard look at the boy, a look very much like his father would have delivered. The boy nodded and Shinji released his hand. Taking the opportunity to flee, the boy melted back into the crowd as Shinji delivered a wink to Asuka as he moved on to work the stage.

This little exchange was noticed by many of the girls triggering off some "whispered" exchanges. It was also noticed by the entire command staff at NERV.

"Do you think?" remarked Hyuga.

"No . . . it couldn't be . . . could it," sputtered Aoba.

Maya ignored both of them and went back to dancing to the thundering beat. To show her contempt, she ratcheted the volume back up drowning out the rest of the speculation.

**_Author's Note_**: I'm a big believer in what I heard from a record executive on a talk show. This guy was talking about N'Sync and other boy bands and that while lambasted by critics, record companies would always market boy bands. Why? "Because as long as there are teenage girls with hormones, there will always be a demand for boy bands." I tried to show a little of that dynamic and the fact that it really isn't dependent on a style of music.

So, since they only have a short set, I'll actually mix a couple of songs a chapter. Not every song has meaning or drama, so I'll just leave those out of the narrative other than mentioning which ones were played. The end of this chapter was an example – other than the incident with the boy, there wasn't much meaning in the song, so I just noted that they played it.


	4. Upside Down Moondance

**Author's Notes:** Again, thanks to everyone who provided reviews, encouragement, and concerns. Before we get started, remember the disclaimers and story warnings in the Prologue.

I'm having a huge amount of fun with this. I just hope you're having fun too! I've gotten some song requests for inclusion into the story – both publicly and in private. I've already set the song list for this particular dance, but since I've decided to keep the story going for as long as possible beyond this particular gig, I'll try and fulfill some of the requests – even if it's just to pander to my reviewers. So, some of the things that may show up are Coldplay, Nirvana, No Doubt, Police, U2, Metallica, Garbage, and some random 80's songs. My major criterion is that I have to have the song in my music library. If I don't, it's hard to integrate into the story. I have a pretty varied library as I mentioned in my profile, but no promises :-)

I also had some questions about how Shinji learned how to be this good, this quick with the guitar. I'll imply with a sledge hammer most of it based on my interpretation of the time between them showing up on the beach and the return of everyone else. I'm not sure how long it will take me to completely reveal that (if ever), but you're going to get a pretty big shot of it in this chapter and can probably guess everything, anyways. If you want to know earlier, just drop me an email at machwave(at)yahoo(dot)com and I'll pass along the story notes/ideas I have jotted down.

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 3: Upside Down Moondance **

_Tokyo-3 Junior High School Dance Club_

_Tres Clowns_ were more than halfway through their half-hour set. Their infectious energy and sound had pulled in everyone. Toji was dripping in sweat from the amount of energy he had to put into the fast-paced rock songs, and, while wiping his face between tunes, got Shinji and Kensuke's attention causing the two of them to move the front of the drum riser.

"Guys, I need us to do something slower this tune or I'm not going to make it to the end," announced Toji after making sure his microphone was off.

"What! We've always practiced longer than this. How can you be giving out now?" exclaimed Kensuke.

"I don't know. It's just the emotion and energy of the event," retorted an exasperated Toji.

"All right. We're almost out of time anyways. Let's go with our last four songs and start with the one for Rei. It's more acoustic and vocal. That should let you catch your second wind and be ready for your tune for Hikari," interrupted Shinji with a quick wink to Toji at the end.

"Ok," responded both Kensuke and Toji as they resumed their positions on the stage.

At the front of the stage, Hikari, Asuka, and Rei were having their own conference.

"What are they talking about?" wondered Asuka. She was starting to get suspicious. The stooges were up to something. She could tell just from their body language.

"I don't know. Toji looks a bit winded. Maybe they're talking about how to end the set?" responded Hikari. She'd always been a pretty keen observer of Toji's behavior and could read him pretty closely.

"They only have three songs to go. They can easily complete it in the allotted time," contributed Rei.

They watched as Shinji put his electric guitar on a stand and picked up his acoustic and plugged it into the amplifier. Rei's face formed a tiny frown. The only remaining songs on the set list didn't call for an acoustic. In fact, she couldn't remember Shinji practicing an acoustic piece. This quick introspection caused her to miss the knowing winks between Hikari and Asuka.

_NERV Command Center_

Misato had been enjoying herself. She had more than enough teasing material to regress Shinji to the emotional state of a two year old AND keep Asuka at bay. They'd broken the monotony of yet another marathon duty shift, and she'd broken out her emergency beer stash initiating quite a little party among the bridge crew.

"Hey! Looks like they're starting up again. Turn it up!"

_Stage_

"Ok everyone. We're nearing the end of our time," announced Shinji earning himself a round of good natured 'boos'. Laughing and holding his hands up in mock surrender, "Hey, hey, not my call. So, with the four songs left, we'd like to dedicate them to some special people."

Rei, Asuka, and Hikari all shared the same thought, _Four?_ They glanced at each other with a bit of apprehension.

"The next song goes out to my sister, Rei. It's 'Upside Down' by Jack Johnson."

With that, Shinji went and sat down on the edge of the stage in front of a shocked Rei. She was struggling with how to respond. A bright blush colored her cheeks, and she quickly glanced at Asuka and Hikari for support and guidance. Seeing nothing but happiness and encouragement, Rei allowed herself to be guided right in front of Shinji who had finished arranging his guitar on his lap. With a last adjustment of the headset microphone, Shinji nodded to Toji and Kensuke who started the intro.

Looking into Rei's eyes, he began to sing.

_Who's to say  
What's impossible  
Well they forgot  
This world keeps spinning  
And with each new day  
I can feel a change in everything  
And as the surface breaks reflections fade  
But in some ways they remain the same  
And as my mind begins to spread its wings  
There's no stopping curiosity_

Hikari and Asuka had moved to either side of Rei to give Rei a little bit of space with Shinji as every girl within twenty feet shot looks of intense hatred and jealousy at Rei for getting a personal concert from the newest rock idol of Tokyo-3 Junior High School. A sharp glance from Asuka quelled the impending crush forward, but the undercurrent of seething envy didn't start to ebb until Shinji picked up the next verse and put them all back under the spell of his voice.

_I want to turn the whole thing upside down  
I'll find the things they say just can't be found  
I'll share this love I find with everyone  
We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's songs  
I don't want this feeling to go away  
_

In the command center, Aoba and Maya were dancing a little bit of Lindy Hop to the strumming of Shinji's guitar and the background of the tambourine and maracas. Hyuga had even convinced Misato to stop scheming and dance a little. At least that's what he told himself conveniently ignoring the beer can carnage around the chair his boss had been occupying.

_  
Who's to say  
I can't do everything  
Well I can try  
And as I roll along I begin to find  
Things aren't always just what they seem  
_

_I want to turn the whole thing upside down  
I'll find the things they say just can't be found  
I'll share this love I find with everyone  
We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's songs  
This world keeps spinning and there's no time to waste  
Well it all keeps spinning spinning round and round and_

_Upside down  
Who's to say what's impossible and can't be found  
I don't want this feeling to go away  
_

Asuka watched Shinji's effect on his sister. Rei's eyes had gone wide with excitement and actually had a little bit of tear in them. She was clutching her hands to her chest and seemed to be in a little world alone with Shinji – oblivious to the jealousy around her. The guitar chords triggered a memory for Asuka - a time before everyone came back and it was just the two of them on a beach . . .

_Flashback_

They had been on the beach for a couple of subjective weeks. Shinji and Asuka had just had one of those fights that only people on the verge of being a couple can have where they said all of the things that hurt the other the most – screamed them actually – and they had ended it with the emotional N2 mine for both of them, comments and accusations about their mothers. Shinji had picked up the guitar he had found a while back and began to idly strum chords, a sad, distant look on his face. Asuka sat facing him, hugging her knees to her chest, watching him through tear-filled eyes - the sounds of her sniffles mixing with the music. They were both emotionally and physically exhausted from the argument.

Many words have been used to describe Asuka – volatile, arrogant, aggressive, domineering, fragile – but not stupid. Her mind was racing with many thoughts ranging from why in the weeks they had been there did they not feel hungry or see the stars move in the sky to what was Shinji trying to play to what were her true feelings for Shinji. It was into this chaotic mix within her that a single, clear thought that Shinji was still _here_ triggered an epiphany – Shinji wasn't using the music to hide or run from her, but was trying to calm himself down with the one thing that he thought he understood and thought he was good at in order to get himself to a point where he could deal with the conflict. This caused her to think about the times he had engrossed himself in his SDAT, struggling to control the emotions so he could face the world.

As Asuka listened to the idle chords, the tension began to ebb out of her and she also noticed Shinji's shoulders begin to relax. It was almost like the calm that Shinji was achieving was reaching out to her as well. It was into this calm that some other things were finally becoming clear for her and she decided to ask her question – not the big question in her mind but the first step, her voice breaking with the remaining sniffles from her sobbing, "Shinji . . . sniff . . . w-w-hy d-did you say such . . . h-h-horrible things to me?"

Shinji's face rose, a thoughtful look on it. After a moment's reflection, he had formulated a coherent response. "I guess . . . it's that I've always . . . loved you . . . and when we were arguing . . . I just wanted you to feel the same pain I was feeling because it hurt to hear you say those things to me. I'm really not very proud of myself for having done it and want to tell you I'm sorry, but don't really want to trigger off another argument about you not liking it when I apologize all the time." He released another heavy sigh and put the guitar down. "But, I am sorry, more so because I love you and I hurt you and had done it on purpose."

Asuka came over to Shinji and pulled him into a fierce hug, burying her face into his neck to smother her latest round of tears and sniffles. A bit shocked, Shinji was a little slow in returning the hug but returned it with an almost frightening intensity.

"Shinji . . . I . . . love you too."

_End Flashback_

Asuka gave her head a tiny shake. It was strange and a bit frightening how Shinji's music could trigger such vivid memories. She looked over at her boyfriend and fell in love with him all over again – for the twentieth time today.

_  
Please don't go away  
Please don't go away  
Please don't go away  
Is this how it's supposed to be  
Is this how it's supposed to be_

The song had wound Rei up like a spring to the point where she was trembling with the built up emotional energy. She had the look on her face that a younger sister gets when she receives the present she had always longed for but never asked for from her older brother just because he knew it was what she wanted – unbridled joy. As the last word began to fade from Shinji, she couldn't take it any longer. She flung herself at Shinji and wrapped him in a fierce hug. Over the shouted protests of all of the girls, Shinji clearly heard her say:

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou,shinji,thankyoubigbrotheriloveyousomuch!"

A bit startled by the hug and unable to breathe Shinji was able to squeak out, "I love you too, Rei, but I . . . need . . . air."

Rei reluctantly released her brother who stood to rejoin the rest of the band. Needing to release the remaining energy, Rei surprised both Asuka and Hikari by pulling them into a hug too. The three of them just started giggling and enjoyed the moment.

_NERV Command Center_

This entire exchange was lost on the command staff as they had broken out another round of beers to toast another fine song and commiserate only three more songs to go.

_Stage_

Toji and Kensuke both greeted Shinji with big, toothy grins as he retook the stage after the assault by his sister. To their great surprise, Shinji just shot them a return big, toothy grin. Making sure his microphone was off, Shinji turned to Toji, "So, you ready for the number for Hikari, big guy?"

Toji swallowed but hard took on a resolved look. "Yeah, but take pity on me. I'm just not good with this emotional stuff, ya know?"

"Don't worry. You just need to be able to handle the after concert stuff," retorted Kensuke.

"We better get on with this," was all Shinji had to say before turning his mic back on and turning to the waiting crowd. Shading his eyes with his hands, "Well, it looks like we got a couple of guys on the floor. Maybe someone could get them out of the way to keep them from being stepped on."

As the boys who had dropped unconscious from the vice-like hug Shinji had gotten from his sister were moved to a spot by the drinks tables by their friends, Shinji dropped his hands and looked back over the crowd. "I'm glad you guys like that one. Now, our next song goes out to the person who got us the gig, our very own class rep - Hikari Horiki."

A stunned Hikari whipped her head around to face the stage from the group hug she had been sharing with Asuka and Rei. Knowing smiles crossed the faces of Rei and Asuka, followed by a small frown from Asuka. She had suddenly realized that there would be one for her too sometime in this goofiness if the stooges understood how to count to four. A part of her was just eager with anticipation, but a part of her faced the prospect with dread, hating the unknown.

These thoughts were interrupted as Hikari dragged both Rei and Asuka back to their accustomed positions in the front of the stage.

Shinji had put his guitar and headset down and added, "And, as a special treat, Toji is going to sing solo." As the catcalls commenced, Toji came out from behind the drum kit to take Shinji's place at the microphone and Shinji faded into the darkness off stage. Seeing that Toji was set, Kensuke triggered the next track – "Moondance" by Michael Buble and moved off stage with Shinji.

_Well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance  
With the stars up above in your eyes  
A fantabulous night to make romance  
'Neath the cover of October skies_

Kensuke glanced at a grinning Shinji, "Tell me again how this song made it onto the dedication part of the set list."

Giving one of his patented sighs, Shinji explained, "Well, you remember Toji and Hikari's first solo date together?"

"Um, yeah, it was a disaster right? Toji was in the doghouse for a while. Was it because you and Asuka weren't there to smooth things over like on the previous double dates?"

"It wasn't a total disaster. It actually started off pretty well . . . "

_  
And all the leaves on the trees are falling  
To the sound of the breezes that blow  
And I'm trying to please to the calling  
Of your heart-strings that play soft and low  
And all the night's magic seems to whisper and hush  
And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush  
_

_Can I just have one a' more moondance with you, my love  
Can I just make some more romance with a-you, my love  
_

"They had gone out to dinner at that Italian food place that Hikari had been hinting at for over a week. Toji even managed to keep the sauces off the front of his shirt. From what I understand, they even talked to each other without Toji getting all defensive because it was too close to those strong emotions he hides."

"Yeah, I got that much from Toji, but when did the wheels come off?"

_Well I wanna make love to you tonight  
I can't wait till the morning has come  
And I know now the time is just right  
And straight into my arms you will run  
And when you come my heart will be waiting  
To make sure you're never alone  
There and then all my dreams will come true, dear  
There and then I will make you my own  
And every time I touch you, you just tremble inside  
And I know how much you want me that you can't hide_

_  
_"Hikari and Toji went to karaoke afterward."

"Toji at karaoke?"

"He asked me for suggestions, and after ruling out the arcade and a bunch of typical guy stuff, this was the one good compromise. Anyways, karaoke actually went ok with them having a good time until Hikari spotted her current favorite song in the book."

"Let me guess, 'Moondance' by Michael Buble."

"Uh huh. Hikari asked him if he would sing it to her. Well, Toji missed all the signs. He actually started to go off on it. Hikari ended up running from the room in tears."

"I understand now why Toji was pretty tightlipped on what went wrong."

"Yeah. The worst part was that Hikari called Asuka on the way home. She was still crying and ended up putting Asuka in orbit. Asuka found me watching TV on the couch and proceeded to read me the riot act about idiot, stooge friends and that she didn't want me sinking into the depths of idiot hell with Toji. Then, she asked me what I was going to do about it."

"Hahahaha, that's YOUR demon girlfriend!"

"heh, it's actually all worth it. Back to the story, so after I got her calmed down enough to tell me what had happened, I told her that I would talk to Toji and figure out a way to make it up to Hikari."

"Hence, this song on the set list and you and Asuka spending the last couple of weeks with Toji helping him with vocals."

"Yup."

"Seems to be working," at which point, both boys turned their gaze to the class rep at stage center.

_  
Can I just have one a' more moondance with you, my love  
Can I just make some more romance with a-you, my love_

_Well, it's a marvelous night for a moondance  
With the stars up above in your eyes  
A fantabulous night to make romance  
'Neath the cover of October skies  
And all the leaves on the trees are falling  
To the sound of the breezes that blow  
And I'm trying to please to the calling  
Of your heart-strings that play soft and low  
And all the night's magic seems to whisper and hush  
And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush  
_

Indeed, it was working. Hikari had immediately recognized the track and her initial flash of anger melted away as Toji had begun to sing. To Hikari, his voice was perfect for the song and best of all, she knew he was singing it for _her_ - in the same way that Asuka had known that Shinji sang for her. Hikari gave Toji that love struck puppy look and found that he had spent the whole song looking only at her.

_  
One more moondance with you in the moonlight  
Can't I just have one more dance with you my love_

As the notes died away, Hikari mouthed "I forgive you" to Toji who, uncharacteristically, blushed a deep shade of crimson. Shinji and Kensuke quickly moved back on stage to rescue their friend. Kensuke lead Toji back to his drum kit. While Shinji recovered the microphone, he shared a knowing "mission accomplished" smile with Asuka who gave him a big thumbs up from behind a gushing Hikari.

"A big round of applause for Toji! That was great! For this next song, I'd like Rei and Asuka to come up," announced Shinji to a surprised audience.

**Author's Parting Shots**: I distinctly remember warning everyone about uncontrolled WAFFiness . . . at least I thought I did.

Anyways, let me resound the WAFF warning for the next couple of chapters. I'm sure you know who the next songs are going to. I plan to close out the dance performance in one more chapter, but the story will continue beyond that.

Sorry about not being very subtle on the Asuka/Shinji declaration of love. I struggled with a couple of different ways, but this seemed like the only one that works in my personal universe :P


	5. The Reason to be Lonely No More

**Author's Notes:** Again, thanks to everyone who provided reviews, encouragement, and concerns. As I mentioned in the first chapter, I'm trying to respond with a quick note to everyone who submits a review – the least I can do for someone who takes the time to provide feedback. Well, let me just say that I've received more reviews than I ever expected and the quality of the reviews has been outstanding. I'm looking into the music requests that have hit my inbox for inclusion in the later chapters. Before we get started, remember the disclaimers and story warnings in the Prologue.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

WAFF WARNING! BEWARE!

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I included the above WAFF warning banner on Tezza's "suggestion" :-)

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 4: The Reasons for Lonely No More **

_Tokyo-3 Junior High School Dance Club_

Shinji's request that Asuka and Rei join him on stage got everyone's attention, including the slightly inebriated NERV Command Center. In fact, the buzz associated with the associated crowd noise sounded like a hive of Africanized honey bees that had been kicked over. Some of it actually coalesced into intelligible words:

" . . . why would they . . . Rei's really different now . . . something about Shinji and Asuka . . . did you see them in the hallway . . . why won't my nose stop bleeding . . . I have a dress just like that . . . my ears hurt . . . "

Hikari had moved to backstage to get out of the tide of students washing against the stage. Without the protective bubble of Asuka's presence, it all just felt very claustrophobic. In any event, it allow her to share a private glance with Toji as the band geared up for their final two songs.

Rei, Shinji, and Asuka gathered around the microphone stand. Shinji tapped the microphone both to check that it was on and to get everyone's attention with the brief feedback shot.

"So, this next tune needs a little explanation. We made some minor lyric changes – apologies to the lyricist where ever he is – for our message. This song goes to out to someone who has been there for us pretty much since our arrival in Tokyo-3. All three of us have received a lot of guidance from this person on many subjects and on many levels. Recently, she's opened up not only her home but her heart to my sister." Shinji gave Rei's hand a little squeeze. It was at this moment that the Three Children did something that Section 2 absolutely hated – they looked straight into the camera and talked to it like they knew it was there.

"Misato, this one is for you – 'Lonely No More' by Rob Thomas," and all Three Children gave big smiles and victory signs to the camera.

_NERV Command Center_

The words "Rei", "Asuka" and "come up" all penetrated the beer buzz. Everyone had dropped like stones into their chairs to stare intently at the screen. The feedback bullet Shinji used to get everyone's attention brought a bunch of people forward in their chairs – the most significant exception was a certain purple haired guardian who was enjoying both a nice beer buzz and the euphoria of being able to tease all of her charges mercilessly for months just on this one dance.

The sight of the Three Children looking directly into the camera and hearing her name was the ultimate buzz kill for Misato. Her eyes narrowed and she studiously ignored the little glances from the bridge crew wondering what was about to happen.

_Stage_

Right on cue, Toji counted them off and the Three Children leaned into the microphone

_Now it seems to us  
That you know just what to say  
But words are only words  
Can you show us something else  
Can you swear to us that you'll always be this way  
Show us how you feel  
More than ever baby  
_

The song was vaguely familiar to Misato, but the significance was still lost on her. She'd heard it on a plane between NERV Germany and NERV Japan at some point. Misato remembered that she had been reading reports and evaluations on the Three Children (cleverly disguised as a romance novel to avoid arousing suspicion). She liked it then and had bought it sometime after returning and probably had let Shinji hear it at some point but had never really listened to the words before though . . .

_  
We don't wanna be lonely no more  
We don't wanna have to pay for this  
We don't want to know the mother at our door  
Is just another heartache on our list  
_

_We don't wanna be angry no more  
You know we could never stand for this  
So when you tell us that you love us know for sure  
We don't want to be lonely anymore  
_

The meaning and implications behind the lyric changes began to make an impact on Misato causing her to slowly stand and stare, unblinking at the live concert footage. It was at this sight of Misato, completely oblivious to the rest of the NERV Command Center and eyes riveted to the large screen at the front, that stilled many a teasing remark from her compatriots – because it's not really fun to tease someone that will not react and who goes around armed.

_  
Now its hard for us with our hearts still on the mend  
Open up to us, like you do your girlfriends  
And you sing to us and it's harmony  
Girl, what you do to us is everything  
Make us say anything; just to get you back again  
Why can't we just try_

_We don't wanna be lonely no more  
We don't wanna have to pay for this  
We don't want to know the mother at our door  
Is just another heartache on our list  
_

_Mother? Lonely no more?_ The words continued to hit her like waves breaking over the beach. Her eyes searched the electronic eyes of the Three Children for some hint of sarcasm or other falsehood, desperately seeking that emotional scapegoat, but not really wanting to find it and dreading the possible discovery.

_  
We don't wanna be angry no more  
You know we could never stand for this  
So when you tell us that you love us know for sure  
We don't want to be lonely anymore_

_What if we were good to you, what if you were good to us  
What if we could hold you till I feel you move inside of us  
What if it was paradise, what if we were symphonies  
What if we gave all our lives to find some way to stand beside you  
_

Misato had really come to view her charges as her own children despite her own maturity and parental responsibility issues. At this thought, her hands had unconsciously moved to clutch at the cross her father had given her, the same cross that she had passed to Shinji in a similar act of sacrifice to save a child.

_  
We don't wanna be lonely no more  
We don't wanna have to pay for this  
We don't want to know the mother at our door  
Is just another heartache on our list_

_We don't wanna be angry no more  
You know we could never stand for this  
So when you tell us that you love us know for sure  
We don't want to be lonely anymore  
We don't wanna be lonely anymore  
We don't wanna be lonely anymore  
We don't wanna be lonely anymore_

As the sound of Shinji, Asuka, and Rei died away, Misato slowly sank back into her chair, head bowed, and quietly crying tears of love of a family found and of a father's love lost. Her co-workers watched in both sympathy and empathy for many of them remembered the story of her journey to joining NERV (Ritsuko never really able to keep good gossip a secret).

"We love you Misato!" came the children's voices, clearly knowing that the entire concert had been transmitted in real time to the Command Center by Section 2. Looking up, Misato saw their smiling faces and the cheerful waves and in a soft voice, "I love you, too."

_Tres Clowns Concert Hall_

Rei had gone to stand by Hikari, and as Asuka moved to follow found her hand caught in Shinji's. She turned, startled, to look back at her secret boyfriend. The crowd practically leaned forward in anticipation of the beating that would ensue at Shinji having been so bold as to actually grab the Red Devil.

Asuka had suspected this and one look at the grinning Shinji confirmed what the bond their synch training was telling her – they were going to announce their relationship, and she should just trust Shinji and follow his lead. With a heavy sigh, she relaxed and said, "Baka-kun, you better know what you're doing or I'll knock you into next week."

"Trust me."

_NERV Command Center_

"What's going on?" shouted Maya. "What are Shinji and Asuka up to? Why isn't she beating him senseless?"

Yes, the collective tactical and strategic genius that had defended humanity during the Angel Wars was at a complete loss as to what was occurring on the screen in front of them.

_Tres Clowns_

Turning back to the microphone but continuing to hold Asuka's hand, much to collective consternation of everyone on the gym floor – jealous and incredulous looks from girls, jealous and hateful looks from the boys, and complete confusion from the staff – Shinji announced, "We have one final tune for the night before turning you over to the DJ for the rest of the dance. For our last song, this one is not from the band but from me to Asuka."

The band moved to play "The Reason" by Hoobastank. As the intro music started, Shinji looked up into Asuka's eyes, blissfully unaware of the knowing looks on the faces of Rei and Hikari.

_I'm not a perfect person_

_There's many things I wish I didn't do_

_But I continue learning_

_I never meant to do those things to you_

_And so I have to say before I go_

_That I just want you to know_

_I've found a reason for me_

_To change who I used to be_

_A reason to start over new_

_and the reason is you_

Asuka began to blush both at the fact that Shinji was singing to her in public and at the deeper, shared meanings of these lyrics for the two of them. She had unconsciously begun to sway in time to his voice, a voice she knew so well. The voice whose every nuance she had learned to understand during those long weeks together. Away from everyone, learning to deal with the emotional pain, learning to soothe the pain in each other.

_I'm sorry that I hurt you_

_It's something I must live with everyday_

_And all the pain I put you through_

_I wish that I could take it all away_

_And be the one who catches all your tears_

_That's why I need you to hear_

_I've found a reason for me_

_To change who I used to be_

_A reason to start over new_

_and the reason is You_

_and the reason is You_

_and the reason is You_

_and the reason is You_

_Flashback_

They were still cuddled together after having said "I Love You" to each other for the first time. Shinji idly ran his fingers through Asuka's hair enjoying her warmth. He felt her stir against him and her arms moved from around his neck to snuggle against his chest. Asuka looked up from her spot cradled in his lap with the need to ask questions written all over her face.

"Asuka, you should go ahead and ask because nothing you could ask would change the way I feel," whispered Shinji again surprising Asuka with an inner strength she never wanted to admit existed.

"I guess that's my question. Why, even after all those terrible things I said and did and may still say and do, do you love me?"

"That's a long, complicated answer that I don't even know the complete story on myself."

"We appear to have plenty of time, and . . . I'm willing to listen."

"Hmmm . . .," started Shinji, his eyes unfocusing. "I think I've always admired your ability to take risks and act in the face of fear that used to paralyze me. After the last couple of weeks, I think I understand more about that part of you, but that really isn't what you asked . . . you were always the most beautiful to me, but that's not the reason I love you . . . umph" was his reaction to the gentle squeeze from Asuka at being called beautiful. "I guess the only way to say it is the cheesy way . . . I guess . . . deep down, I always knew that if I could learn to take the abuse and ultimately stand up to you, I could convince you to love me, so I endured and tried to change . . . you gave me a purpose, a reason to get up in the morning to hope for something better in the middle of that awful period of my life when there really wasn't much to hope for other than to be abandoned again by my father because I had out-lived my usefulness to him. Is this making sense to you?" asked Shinji, eyes re-focusing on Asuka.

"More than you could imagine . . . " smiled Asuka with that knowing smile about how his words mirrored her own thoughts and feelings. He had indeed grown on her and provided something for her to hope for. "Shinji?"

"Hmm?"

"Promise me you'll stay with me always?"

"Asuka, I jumped into a volcano for you because it was better to die trying to save you than live without you. Of course, I'll always be with you," responded Shinji as he lifted her up. The two shared a kiss and embrace filled with love and the deep, heartfelt commitment that each had been yearning for in the depths of their souls.

_End Flashback_

_I'm not a perfect person_

_I never meant to do those things to you_

_And so I have to say before I go_

_That I just want you to know_

_I've found a reason for me_

_To change who I used to be_

_A reason to start over new_

_and the reason is you_

_I've found a reason to show_

_A side of me you didn't know_

_A reason for all that I do_

_And the reason is you_

Shinji never got to finish the last verse. He had slid his guitar behind him as Asuka brought him into a tight embrace that transitioned into a loving kiss. A kiss that created some interesting ripples in the people around them . . .

Disappointment, envy, and the beginnings of schemes in a majority of the girls in front of the stage . . .

Headaches, nose bleeds, and fainting spells amongst the male student body as they tried to cope with the non-sequiturs of "Shinji", "Asuka", and "kiss" all at the same time . . .

Frowns from some of the staff that now they would actually have to chaperone the dance . . .

Whoops, catcalls, and, in some cases, stunned silence from the command crew . . .

Dread from one purple-haired guardian who now has to give The Talk to her young charges.

Prepared for this and deciding to take pity on their teachers and classmates, Hikari and Rei closed the stage curtains on this tender scene.

_Minutes Later_

"Wow," was all Shinji could whisper when he and Asuka finally broke their kiss. A contented smile came to Asuka's face as she leaned her forehead on Shinji's.

"I'm glad I still have that effect on you," whispered Asuka with an intense gaze into Shinji's eyes refusing to move her arms from around his neck, her fingers now playing with his hair. She didn't quite realize that the residuals of the synch training let Shinji know that he had exactly the same effect on her. In fact, Asuka's brain was fixated on replaying and reliving the warm sensation of his lips on hers just as Shinji's was focused on how soft her lips were and that the strawberry lip gloss she had on really did taste like strawberries.

"I guess that was the best way to let everyone know that we're together," quipped Shinji having recovered to some semblance of normality.

"It will save me the trouble of having to intimidate every girl in school. They now know that you are _MY_ baka, and they already know that I'm _very _possessive," replied Asuka with a little more intensity than she intended.

"umm," gulped Shinji, his new found spine beginning to buckle under the pressure and a the realization that he hadn't thought of one very important response to their little display. "How do you think Misato is going to react to this?"

"_Liebchen_, don't worry. Whatever happens, we'll get through it, _together_," responded Asuka having moved her hands to cup Shinji's now worried face.

"You're right. Together"

"Of course, I'm right. Never doubt me again, baka-kun," teased Asuka.

"Hey, you two! Let's clean up! There's still the rest of the dance to go!" ordered Hikari having dropped back into Class Rep-mode.

"Alright, alright," replied Shinji releasing Asuka. He then unplugged his guitar, and he and Asuka started the tedious process of rolling up the cords and putting away the pedals so the equipment could be put back into the music room.

As Rei came by rolling up one of the longer cords, she looked at both Asuka and Shinji noticed that she was still humming "Upside Down". They shared a knowing glance and went back to work.

With the six of them working, it only took ten minutes to pack everything away and the group made their way onto the dance floor. A certain couple, relatively unconcerned as to what their classmates thought of their relationship, made their way to a quiet spot to share a couple of drinks and a snack before taking to the dance floor.

**Author's Notes**: Ok, so the concert has ended and the DJ's starting up for the rest of the dance. I think I've got a way to get them more gigs – probably another dance or two, maybe one at the high school, and we'll see about some others. I also think I'm going to take the suggestion to bring a bass player in and maybe some others. We'll see. It may be about a week until I post the next chapter since the scene hasn't quite played out in my head, yet.


	6. Ramune and Ramen

**Disclaimer Expansion:** In addition to the normal disclaimers in the Prologue, I don't own, pretend to own, or intend to use for profit any of the movies or other trademarked products I reference in this FUN story (repeat – for FUN not for profit).

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- WAFF WARNING! BEWARE! -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 5: Ramune and Ramen **

_Tokyo-3 Junior High School Dance Club_

Shinji and Toji carried drinks for everyone over to where the girls had found a quiet spot in the gym to recover from the concert. They had lost Kensuke somewhere in the walk from backstage to the drinks table. The otaku was good at getting distracted by "bright, shiny objects", and his friends had gotten used to his vanishing acts since he would always turn up at some point.

Toji handed Hikari a lemon lime soda which she accepted with a bashful smile. Toji sat down next to her and where they shared a shy silence, quietly observing the interaction of the Three Children.

Shinji handed Asuka a cola, "For you, Asuka-chan. Rei, here's a Ramune for you."

Asuka barely stifled the giggle without being noticed by Rei whose complete attention was focused on the small bottle now in her hand. Rei also missed the small smile on Shinji's face. She tried to take a sip only to, as expected, have it blocked by the small marble within the neck of the bottle.

"Rei, there's a trick to drinking Ramune," smiled Shinji. Rei's only response was the "confused dog look" – her head tilted to one side, eyes wide, face serene and completely devoid of understanding.

"Why would there be a 'trick' to a drink?" responded Rei in an emotionless deadpan.

"Rei, you're dropping back into 'Wondergirl'-mode again," quipped Asuka. "There's a trick for the fun of it. That's why we wanted you to try it – to have fun with the drink and, now that you know the trick, you can feel a part of this."

Asuka had taken Rei as a bit of a project to help her integrate her new emotions and place context around them – at least some context other than destroying Angels and triggering Human Instrumentality. This little project did speak to some growth in Asuka and her ability to deal with the squirming insecurities. Asuka now looked at Rei more as a little sister instead of as a competitor for Shinji's affection that needed to be neutralized. In addition, the aborted Third Impact affected Rei, probably more than Shinji. Rei was no longer the emotionless doll persona that reminded Asuka of the most painful times in her life and now referred those lapses as "Wondergirl-mode". Of course, this process had been accelerated because they had been forced to share a room at Misato's for a couple of weeks during the renovation.

Shinji then proceeded to show Rei how to drink the Ramune and was rewarded with a bright smile as she finished her drink. Shinji sat down next to Asuka to drink his soda. As he watched students pair off to dance to the first of the DJ's songs, he noticed a couple of interesting things. The first was that Toji and Hikari had yet to move towards the dance floor. They remained sitting quietly next to each other with occasional whispers to each other and small smiles from Hikari. The second was that there was a small group of boys that periodically glanced over at Rei. Finally, one of them was pushed out of the little huddle and made his way over to Rei with frequent looks back to his compatriots. The boy managed to stammer out an invitation to dance with some nervous glances at Shinji since the stage incident regarding a misplaced hand and advance had now made its rounds throughout the male population.

Rei looked at Shinji with a questioning look that on the surface only seemed bland, but screamed for help in how to deal with the request. All she got was a small smile and a raised eyebrow to say, "It's up to you, but I would suggest you try it."

With a blush and a small nod, Rei stood to follow the boy out onto the dance floor. Shinji was brought back to the 'here and now' by a warm hand entwining in his.

"Shinji-kun, let's dance."

"Ummm . . . okay . . . but you know I'm not really that good a dancer . . . " responded a shaky Shinji.

"Shinji," was Asuka's exasperated huff. "You just need to relax, let yourself flow with the music, and follow my lead, ok?"

Shinji merely nodded his head and Asuka lead them onto the dance floor. Trance and J-pop pounded out of the speakers for a solid twenty minutes while they danced. To the bystanders watching the floor, Shinji and Asuka stood out. The most obvious things were Asuka's red hair and the extra space they received after their previous displays of aggression. What was not so obvious but readily apparent to casual study was that they danced well together by complementing each other. Asuka had a natural grace and enthusiasm that translated well to her dancing. Shinji had the energy and the ability to follow Asuka's lead. He seemed to always be in the right place to support a twirl, accent a move, or provide the space to highlight another move. It was more than their sync training. It was more than just the moves. It was an emotional connection that manifested in the dancing.

The tempo began to slow and the DJ brought out an obligatory slow dance. Asuka wound her arms around Shinji's neck as he wrapped his hands around her waist. They continued to dance in their own world where the faces of their friends moving in the background, Toji and Hikari, Rei and the fanboy of the moment, and even Kensuke with a newly found groupie, were noted in a back part of their mind but never truly breached the surface of their consciousness. It was a scene straight out of the movies. They stared into each other's eyes and slowly moved to share a kiss only to be interrupted by a loud throat clearing.

Brought back to the dance everyone else was in, they became aware of one of the teachers giving them the warning look that the administration did not want a repeat performance of their stage act – the school would be scandalized as it was when word of the kiss leaked out to the parents. Asuka's sharp reply was stilled by a gentle squeeze from Shinji's hands, his soothing presence saved the teacher from a tongue lashing that would have peeled the paint off the walls. Feeling lucky to have only escaped with a glare of death, the teacher moved on to manage the other young couples giving Shinji a backward glance of thanks.

"Why'd you stop me? They shouldn't be interfering and they need to learn that lesson," grumbled Asuka.

"Asuka-chan," responded Shinji, his hands continuing to rub soothingly on Asuka's back. "They're just trying to do their jobs. Japan has opened up a lot and become more tolerant of public displays of affection, but they still haven't reached the level of openness you were used to in Germany."

"Hmmph," was about all Asuka could muster. Her anger began to dissipate under Shinji's touch. She leaned forward and rested her cheek on his shoulder, her breath tickling his neck. Shinji caught his breath as her arms dropped down and gave him a stealth hug in the middle of the group of dancing teens. "I can't stay angry with you doing that."

"I know," came the slightly smug reply.

"Oh? Really? When did you get so knowledgeable in the ways of women? What else do you know about the fair sex, and don't tell me you got it from the other Stooges, the little hentais," came the veiled threat.

"Asuka!" blushed Shinji. "I – I – I really o – o – only know about you," stammered Shinji, digging the hole deeper with every stuttered syllable.

"So, you've been spying on me then?" was the quick response.

"N-n-n-no!" as more dirt left the hole and Shinji began to feel the heat of the Earth's core.

Feeling the tension in his back and the trembling of his arms, Asuka decided that he'd reached his limit and let him off the hook before destroying him for the evening. "Baka-kun, I'm teasing you. Relax for me, 'kay?" she said as she used the curtain of her hair to hide the fact that she gave him a little kiss on the neck which seemed to go straight to the pleasure centers in his brain and disconnected the higher thought functions leaving his body operating on what has been jokingly referred to as the "lizard" part of the brain.

"Heh, right . . . teasing" mumbled Shinji as the tension ebbed and the trembling halted.

Another 20 minute cycle of high energy dance music again slowed into another 'couples' dance. However, the mood on this one was broken by the sound of a resounding slap and the thud of a boy's body hitting the floor. A quick scan of the area showed Shinji still vertical which triggered a confused search that now centered on Rei. The boy at her feet rolled dazedly, unable to regain his feet.

"Pervert!" she said in a low menacing voice, and then stormed off to the quiet place where she and the group had shared drinks earlier.

Pride and a hint of a smile played out on Asuka's face in stark contrast to the surprise and shock on nearly everyone else's. Asuka released Shinji, gave him a look and a little jerk of the head towards the fallen boy, and went to over to find out the story from Rei. Shinji squatted down next to the boy who was starting to regain his senses. The boy's eyes widened in fear at the flat, emotionless eyes that greeted him, inches from his own. Shinji's eyes were like looking into the barrel of a gun only promising death of one sort of another and the kindness was the hope that it would be a quick, clean death. It was the same look used many times by another Ikari.

"Spread the word. _Never_ again. Understand?" came the icy voice from Shinji.

A quick gulp and a nod.

Shinji accepted the apology and acknowledgement of future consequences in stoic silence. He stood and made his way over to his sister and girlfriend.

" . . . and his hand slid down to my backside, just like you had warned me they might do. So, I punished him for his forwardness," was the tail-end of the explanation from Rei to Asuka as Shinji walked up.

A satisfied look of pride came to Asuka's face - that look a teacher gets when a student has learned the lesson well and has proven worthy of advanced knowledge. "Good. We'll talk about this more tomorrow."

Hikari and Toji had also made their way to the small group to see what was going on. After some short explanations and consideration that the dance was nearly over anyways, it was decided that the group would go outside to talk about what to do next.

_Tokyo-3 Junior High School Main Gate_

The group had reassembled on this cool autumn evening. Even though the school year normally didn't begin until April, the school system had decided to start early to ensure that everyone was truly at grade level, much to the consternation of the student population. Since the dance had occupied what normally would have been club time and the small group had spent the better part of two hours dancing, it was now definitely dinner time heralded by the growling tummies of the teenagers, but it was overruled by the incessant ring of Shinji's cell phone.

"Moshi Moshi . . . Konbanwa Misato . . . ok . . . ok . . . yes, I have money . . . alright. See you at home," with that Shinji closed his phone. "That was Misato. She said that a UN officer just showed up to debrief her, so she's not going to be home in time for dinner and that we should fend for ourselves. She'll see us later tonight."

"Why does she always call your phone to pass along direction, Third?" snapped a testy Asuka.

"Pockets," was the simple reply from Shinji noting that Asuka always seemed testy when hungry.

"What are you _talking_ about, Baka?" replied Asuka with the threat of a beating plastered in glowing neon from every syllable.

"I keep my cell phone in my uniform pocket and, therefore, always handy. You and Rei keep yours in your bags because your uniforms don't have pockets. So, when she wants an immediate answer, she calls me. Asuka, even Hikari calls my phone when we're out because you always bury yours in your purse," replied Shinji, internally pleased at his logic.

Asuka narrowed her eyes, and discovered a beautiful gem in the crystalline logic outlined by Shinji, "Good, then you are now my personal assistant and will handle all of my calls."

Shinji's smug appreciation of his logical prowess evaporated into the realization that he'd thought himself into a trap. Swearing off thinking for the foreseeable future, "I bow to the higher authority."

His stomach, however, would have none of it and growled its displeasure.

"Where are we going to eat?" prompted Hikari.

"How about that new American Diner?" was Toji's contribution.

"Dummkopf! Rei doesn't eat meat," snarled Asuka only partially happy at having acquired an assistant.

"Don't test me now, Devil!" came the heated response.

"There is no test. Only pain, Stooge," responded the raised fist.

"Hey! Hey! Enough!" intervened Shinji and Hikari. "Rei, why don't you choose?" asked Shinji as he tried to cut off the glares between Toji and Asuka.

"ummm, I heard about this ramen place from some of the other girls. It's supposed to be pretty good. They have a vegetarian bowl, pork, beef . . . you know, the usual."

General consensus reached, the small group headed down the street with Rei leading the way. She actually was singing 'her' song to herself. Shinji and Asuka followed with Asuka having acquired a firm grip on Shinji's arm allowing her to pull herself close to him. Toji and Hikari followed along holding hands and trying to act nonchalant about their public display of affection. The teens found themselves on a fairly busy street and sandwiched between a grilled mochi stand and the doorway to a basement reggae club, was a fairly large ramen shop. Sitting down at the counter and reading the menu posted to the wall, the group pretty much settled on the famous pork ramen except for Rei's vegetarian with Asuka, Toji, and Shinji all going for a gyoza add on.

As the teens enjoyed their meal, Shinji finally voiced what had been bothering him since they left the school. "So, did anyone see where Kensuke went?"

"No, but I think I actually saw him dancing with a girl," quipped Hikari, the only one of the group to halt eating long enough to respond.

"Oh. He's probably still at the dance, then. Well, if he wants to find us, that's what cell phones are for," was Shinji's assessment of the lost stooge. It wasn't that he wasn't concerned about having ditched his friend. To Shinji's way of thinking, it was more important that the otaku interact with a girl than go out to food with them.

It suddenly struck Shinji that Asuka had passed up a prime opportunity to hammer Kensuke. A glance at the girl caused her to swallow the noodles in her mouth and softly tell him, "It's no fun if he's not here to react."

Shinji nodded and took a thoughtful slurp of noodles while processing that latest tidbit of information.

All too soon, dinner was over and they found themselves standing outside wondering what to do next.

"Well, I need to be getting home," announced Hikari. "I'm probably going to get interrogated by my sisters on how the dance went. I'll see you guys later."

"uh . . . Hikari?" stammered Toji.

Surprised, Hikari stopped and turned towards Toji. "Yes, Toji?"

"Could I . . . uh . . . mm . . . walk you home?" sputtered Toji, fidgeting with his track suit zipper.

Blushing at the request and the fact that it was made in front of their friends, Hikari acquiesced with a small nod and smile. With that, the two teens began the trek towards Hikari's house.

"Shinji, we're bored. What are we going to do for the rest of the night?" spouted Rei in an alarmingly accurate portrayal of Asuka's familiar complaint. Asuka merely smiled her special smile for Shinji and nodded in agreement.

The smile hit Shinji like an N2 mine, just like it always did. His knees started to soften and his brain ground to a halt under the assault. The will to survive was strong in the young boy, though, and the learned response started to emerge. "Well, we could have a movie night, and I could make snacks," he offered.

"Only if we get to pick to the movie," countered Rei with a little nudge from Asuka.

Seeing that he was outnumbered, outgunned, and outmaneuvered, Shinji decided to cut his losses, "Fine, fine. I'll run by the store while you guys get the movie and I'll meet you at home."

Asuka and Rei shared a look of triumph much to Shinji's embarrassment. Turning to Shinji, Asuka decided to land the killing blow.

"Ok, that sounds like a plan Shinji-kun." Pulling him into a little hug, she then whispered into his ear, "You know what I like, don't you? Don't disappoint . . . " and she gave his ear lobe a little nibble before releasing him to race off with Rei towards the video store.

Shinji stood immobile for a moment with a shell-shocked look and familiar blush on his face. Slowly, the blush faded replaced by a broad grin. Shinji Ikari, Third Child, was hopelessly in love and now knew that in every part of his being. With a little laugh, he set off for the store because he knew exactly what Asuka liked to snack on when watching movies, but he was thinking that he might have some surprises as well.

-

-

-

**Author's Parting Shots**: Yes, I know that I took the Ramune thing from RahXephon. I thought it would go well here to show some interaction between Rei, Asuka, and Shinji and lay the foundation for some additional info later.

Also, I tried to write this one without the crutch of having a song to provide structure and mood and was trying to give everyone a glimpse into what would probably be an average interaction of the characters. It turned out to be MUCH harder than I originally thought it would be. Sorry for the wait.

So, we're probably one more chapter away from a musical interlude, but I think I've got something that may peak your interest both for the movie they pick and some of the discussion when Misato gets home to tie you over until the next musical gig.

By the way, the ramen shop is an actual shop in Kyoto that I got to go to when I was there on vacation – it was the best!

_Last minute update!_ I just found out from a friend of mine who is from Kyoto that he considers that ramen shop to be the best ramen shop in Kyoto and had been going there for years! Though he did say that the grilled mochi place is gone and has been replaced with the front for some sort of club.


	7. The Bride, The Money, and The Blues

**Disclaimer Expansion:** In addition to the normal disclaimers in the Prologue, I don't own, pretend to own, or intend to use for profit any of the movies or other trademarked products I reference in this FUN story (repeat – for FUN not for profit).

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- WAFF WARNING! BEWARE! -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 6: The Bride, the Money, and the Blues **

_The Apartment_

Shinji stood at the stove just finishing off the caramel covered popcorn. He had the buttered stuff ready to go and had decided to do this as a special treat. He had drinks in the refrigerator having displaced the some of Misato's beer to a temporary spot in a cupboard. He'd also stashed a special snack for Asuka and Rei in the refrigerator behind some of the beer. Shinji actually didn't expect the girls to arrive until the popcorn was done having watched the movie selection process the last time they had movie night. It was more like a shopping expedition and, in Shinji's opinion, took about three times as long as it should have.

The caramel popcorn was just hitting the bowl as Asuka and Rei came through the door and announced their arrival with a loud, "We're home!"

Shinji could be heard over the running water as he washed out the pots, "So, what did you guys pick up?"

Asuka and Rei made their way to the kitchen where they inhaled the competing aromas of caramel covered popcorn and hot, buttered popcorn. Blissful little smiles covered their faces as they basked in the delicious aura of their favorite movie snacks. As Shinji took off his new, blue apron (his frilly green one being the victim of a suspicious flambé problem), the girls responded.

"Well, we didn't get there in time to get anything recent, so we had to go look at some of the older movies," Asuka said. With a little nod from Asuka, Rei held up the first of two movies mimicking a spokes model they had seen on television the previous night. Shinji didn't know whether to be more surprised by Rei's actions or by the movie itself, "So, the first of two movies we got is 'The Princess Bride'. The guy at the store said it's funny and cute, so we just had to have it."

Rei put the first movie down and readied the second. Shinji didn't really remember 'The Princess Bride' but with a name like that . . . he just resolved to himself that he could endure anything. "And the second movie," continued Asuka as Rei raised the second case, "is 'The Blues Brothers'. The video store guy said it's old, but the music is pretty good and it has its funny moments." Shinji was actually surprised at the last movie. It sounded pretty good to him, but didn't seem like the kind of movie either Asuka or Rei would really want to watch.

"That's good with me. I've got popcorn and drinks ready, and I have a special dessert for 'intermission' between the movies," replied Shinji as he wiped his hands on a dish towel. "But, I need to clean up still from the dance."

"We do, too," responded Asuka. "Whose turn is it to get the bathroom first?"

"I went first this morning, so that puts me last on the rotation," was Shinji's contribution.

"Rei and I will figure it out and let you know when we're done," commanded Asuka.

Shinji merely nodded and headed to his room. As he heard the voices of the girls fading as they went to their rooms, he sat and opened up his laptop. He lost himself in some music searches looking for interesting things to either play on guitar or cello.

A knock at his door brought Shinji out of his searching. "Yes?"

"Your turn, Shinji-kun," came Rei's voice through the door. "And Asuka says to be quick because she's setting up the movies and snacks."

Shinji grabbed his things and rushed through a quick shower. Pulling on sweat pants and a Black Flys t-shirt Asuka had gotten him as part of her efforts to get him to wear something other than his school uniform. As he walked into the living room, he noticed the DVD menu up on the screen and the big bowls of popcorn already on the table along with the drinks. Finding Rei having already claimed the pillows in front of the TV and Asuka having claimed the couch, Shinji stood confused for a moment before realizing that Asuka expected him to share the couch with her. A small smile crept onto his face as he realized that he was starting to get the hang of this couple-thing.

"So, we debated what we would watch first, and figured we'd watch 'The Princess Bride' first. Then, as a reward for being a good boy during the movie, we can watch 'The Blues Brothers'. By the way, did Misato say when she'd be home when she called?" asked Asuka.

"That's fine with me, and no, she didn't say. But, I would guess that she'll be home in a couple of hours. They've already had a long day. If she's not too tired, she may watch the second movie with us," replied Shinji as he sat down on the end of the couch so he could stretch his legs.

Snuggling up to him and making herself comfortable, Asuka pulled his arms around her as she leaned back into him like he was a lounge chair. She luxuriated in his warmth as Rei kicked off the movie.

As the movie ground on, Shinji found himself identifying with both the sick grandson and Wesley. Just like the grandson, he had started off not too sure about the whole kissing thing, but was now an ardent convert. Shinji started seeing himself in Wesley from the beginning of the movie – doing what his true love wanted, having faith in love, and, ultimately, defying death to rescue his love. To top it off, just like every other teenage boy, he had memorized some of the more memorable lines of the movie for his own entertainment.

Rei just lay there enjoying the story. She had always been sheltered away from popular culture and she was reveling in the chance to experience it. Some of the movie didn't make much sense to her, but she always had Asuka to ask for clarification.

Asuka thoroughly enjoyed the movie. For her, it was funny; it was touching; and it had some action. She especially liked Inigo. But, she spent the movie never really getting into it. Instead, she had snuggled up to Shinji and enjoyed being close to the boy. After having denied her feelings and pushed so many people away, she had vowed to make up for lost time. She had also covertly studied both Rei's and Shinji's reactions to the movie. She was pleasantly surprised that Shinji seemed to be enjoying the movie and that Rei seemed to understand at least some of the jokes.

As the movie wound to a close, Shinji leaned forward to nibble Asuka's ear. He got a little giggle and playful slap for his efforts until he whispered, "I have a surprise for you . . . I can make one of your favorite desserts."

The follow up slap halted in mid-air as Asuka sat up and turned to face Shinji. "Then, what are we doing sitting on the couch like bumps on a log?"

Shinji smiled and said, "As you wish," to the great amusement of both Rei and Asuka.

As they adjourned to the kitchen, Rei and Asuka sat down at the table as Shinji began to retrieve items from the refrigerator including, much to their consternation, a stainless steel mixing bowl and a whisk. He began whipping the cream as the girls watched the magic of cream becoming fluffy, sweet topping. When the cream had reached medium peak stage, Shinji began the assembly process. On the two plates for the girls, he placed a generous slice of pound cake that he had bought. Next, he made a thin layer of whipped cream. He then brought out a bowl of strawberries covered in a sugar syrup glaze that he had made earlier while doing the popcorn. He then placed a large serving onto each slice of pound cake. Asuka's lips parted slightly as she stared at the dessert taking shape in front of her. She had fixated on the glistening fruit resting in the bed of white, whipped cream completely unaware of Rei practically drooling on the table next to her. With a final flourish, Shinji dropped a heaping spoonful of cream onto the shiny fruit and placed a single strawberry as garnish on top. Placing a spoon on each plate, he slid them forward to the girls, "Enjoy!"

Rei attacked her dessert with a ferocity that had previously only been unleashed on Angels. She had developed a powerful sweet tooth after having moved in and experienced a wider range of foods than the bland fare of the NERV cafeteria.

Asuka, on the other hand, was overjoyed at the dessert but had other plans. She loved the tartness of strawberries and didn't get them often in Japan. They were expensive and the small family's budget didn't always allow for such extravagance. Asuka took a spoon and scooped the strawberry garnish and some whipped cream and slowly, sensuously took that first bite into her mouth. As she savored each and every bite, she knew exactly what effect this was having on Shinji. He merely sat watching them enjoy the dessert but upon noticing the rather different eating habits from Asuka had followed her movements closely. The more he watched the closer his blush came to matching the strawberry glaze, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. Asuka licked the spoon clean after finishing her dessert while staring at Shinji. His blushing face was immobile as if he were paralyzed. She leaned across the corner of the table to place her face directly in front of his, noticing that his breath had quickened and shallowed.

"That, was the best dessert ever, my Shinji," she whispered. She leaned in and kissed him softly at first but with increasing passion. As the taste of strawberries invaded Shinji's consciousness, he began to return the kiss and was rewarded with Asuka's hand caressing the back of his head. Breaking the kiss, Asuka made sure his eyes had opened and were looking at her before saying, "Were you thinking hentai thoughts, Shinji?"

Shinji blushed again and began to stutter, much to Asuka's amusement. He was saved from further embarrassment from Misato's timely, "I'm home!" announcement from the door.

As planned all three children turned and announced in unison, "Hi Mom!" to a stunned Misato who dropped the briefcase in her left hand in a loud clatter.

"She must not be left-handed either," deadpanned Rei much to the amusement of Asuka and Shinji. The three shared a look and began to laugh uncontrollably as Misato stared at the children in confusion. As Misato sat down at the table, Shinji filled her in on the little joke. Misato relaxed and noticing the remnants of the desserts looked at Shinji with some questions in her eyes.

With a little smile, Shinji responded to the unspoken inquiry, "Yes, Misato, there's more than enough left for you to have some. And, no, I didn't spend too much on the strawberries. I handle most of the food shopping and had saved a little over the last couple of weeks for a splurge tonight." Shinji whipped up a dessert for both he and Misato as she filled them in on most of the day at NERV, but before she dug into her dessert, Misato got a serious look on her face.

"I have some very important things to tell you. So, Shinji, why don't you sit down with your dessert?"

As Shinji sat down and picked at his dessert, Misato had the attention of all three children. Not necessarily undivided as Asuka helped herself to some of Shinji's dessert, but she was paying attention.

"The UN debriefing was actually about some decisions that have been made about us, as a family."

With that simple statement, she now had the complete attention of all three children. The rise in tension couldn't have been higher if she had said that another Angel had appeared.

"Calm down, it's not bad news – I hope. First, they've agreed to let us stay together as a family. For Shinji and Rei, that wasn't such a stretch. Legally, I'm their guardian and their parents are listed as casualties of Third Impact. But for you Asuka, your parents in Germany didn't think it was such a good idea at first and needed some convincing. They've agreed to let you stay."

With that Asuka, while still more than a little angry at the implications, did relax at that she would be able to stay and realized that she had Shinji's hand in a death grip. With the relaxing her grip on his hand, he gave hers a gentle squeeze.

"So, that brings me to the three of you, specifically. Because who your identities are not as secure as I would prefer, the UN is ready to grant each of you a military rank of captain, place you on semi-active duty, and place you as test pilots under my command." Holding up a hand to stop the inevitable comments, Misato continued, "Hear me out. There are some positives to this even though I know none of you are terribly pleased with that option. You'll each get a military salary that will be put in trust for you until you're of age. You'll get a monthly stipend for spending money out of that until then. Because of your military status, you'll be able to continue to receive Section 2 surveillance and protection. I don't need to tell you how important that is with everything that's going on right now. Now, regardless of your choice on accepting military rank, I was able to secure some additional things for you. You'll each receive an additional lump sum placed in your trust. It's not enough to set you for life, but you'll be comfortable. You'll each also receive guaranteed admission into the college of your choice. We as a family will also receive a monthly allowance for food and expenses such as uniforms, etc."

Asuka wanted to argue and scream, but the logical part of her and the stability that she'd found with Shinji held much of that in check. A small part of her found it amazing what a warm hand in hers could really accomplish. Rei's look was thoughtful, but it was clear with her gazing at her brother, that she had decided to follow his lead. Shinji leaned back into his chair as he tried to absorb this. He was aware of Rei's look and decision and of the internal struggle within Asuka as her hand had clenched his during Misato's monologue.

"Misato, why didn't you talk to us about this before making some of these requests?" was Shinji's first comment, much to Asuka's surprise and delight. She was pleased both that Shinji was willing to stand up for them but also that he had asked the primary question in her head. Not a bad accomplishment for a baka, even if he was _her_ baka.

"Well, the part about setting up your futures wasn't really my doing. That was Commander Fuyutsuki's prior to his retirement. He felt it was the start of a repayment to you Shinji for everything that had been done to you and to each of you for having sacrificed so much for mankind. But, getting permission for us to stay together as a family pretty much happened this afternoon after you concert. I spent a lot of time on the phone to Germany and had to talk pretty fast to convince Asuka's father and step-mother to allow her to stay. So, there really wasn't much to talk to you about. After the concert, I knew what your feelings were and had the opportunity to 'close the deal', as the cliché goes."

"But, why the military rank?" queried Asuka in a moderately calm voice – for her.

"Well, you just can't be civilians running around a top secret research facility. Plus, this gives you some authority to make sure no one messes with you. It does give you some responsibilities, and you won't be able to completely enjoy a normal teenage life, but if we're honest with each other, you wouldn't have been able to in any event."

While the children sat in silent thought, half of Misato's dessert disappeared as if sucked into a black hole, which, in a way, it had been.

Asuka turned to Shinji. "I think we should probably take the military rank and the deal."

"I don't know. I'm not all that keen on being under the military thumb for the rest of my life."

"You get to re-address the situation when you turn eighteen when you would be put on the normal enlistment and re-up schedule," mumbled Misato around a mouthful of strawberries and cream.

"I still think we should do it," said Asuka in a voice a little more firm than she had intended. In truth, she thought it would probably be for the best.

"All right," agreed Shinji. Unknown to him, he had stumbled onto an arcane truth about lasting relationships - do the thing that was best for us instead of what is best for yourself. You'll be rewarded with people doing what is best for you, especially by your significant other.

Asuka's only response was to sit in his lap and give him a big hug. Of course, Shinji, being a relatively normal teenage boy, had a predictable, physiological response to her attentions, much to his embarrassment. Asuka gave him a wicked little look and leaned forward to whisper, "Feels like 'Little Shinji' is having perverted thoughts."

"Asuka!" was the shocked response.

"It's ok, I can forgive you. I know you can't resist my charms," smirked Asuka who gave Shinji a little wiggle in his lap before returning to her chair.

This entire exchange was ignored by Rei as she went hunting in the bowl for left over whipped cream and strawberries, and by Misato, who had dived into her first beer.

"Hey, we still have a second movie to watch and popcorn left over!" announced Asuka as she dragged a still blushing Shinji back to the couch.

As the small family adjourned to watch the next movie, they assumed their original positions with Misato now chaperoning on the opposite end of the couch from Asuka and Shinji. The movie progressed through the opening scenes at the prison without much commentary from the family except for a small snort from Misato at the "one soiled" display by Frank Oz. (A/N – you can go watch the movie to find out what I'm referring to. Until then, it's just an inside joke.)

There were some giggles from Asuka at the scene with "the Penguin" given some stories about Catholic school from associates back in Europe and a few indignant squawks from Pen-Pen at the characterization. But, during the scene at the church with James Brown, Asuka stiffened as Jake was bathed in the weird bluish light. Guessing at what was happening, Shinji tightened his arms around the trembling girl and leaned his mouth close to her ear.

"It's ok," he whispered. "I'm right here with you like I said I would be. We're _together_."

The trembling stopped but Asuka's hands gripped Shinji's forearms where they crossed in front of her. As the light faded and the scene moved on, the tension within Asuka subsided and she began to enjoy the movie again. In fact, Sam and Dave's "Soothe Me" did just that. Her grip on Shinji's arms relaxed and she noticed the red handprints on them. She began to lightly rub his arms to help the blood start circulating again and was rewarded with a small kiss on the head as Shinji nuzzled her hair in unspoken forgiveness.

"_Murph and the Magictones? Look at you in those . . . monkey suits."_

Rei's turned back to the rest of the family, "Murph and the Magictones. That's like the command center – Misato and the Misfits."

Shinji and Asuka burst out in howls of laughter both at Rei making an attempt at humor and at the fact that it was funny in a corny sort of way. Misato's response was much less refined – beer nearly came out her nose and, as she tried to set the can down, she stared in shock at Rei. Rei merely giggled at Misato and went back to the movie.

It was the diner scene that got Asuka's interest. While she noticed that Shinji like's John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom Boom", she was a little surprised at the power and presence of Aretha Franklin singing "Think".

_Think (think) think (think) think (think) think (think)_

_You think (think) think (think) think about it_

_You better think (think) think about what you're trying to do to me_

_Yeah, think (think, think), let your mind go, let yourself be free_

_Let's go back, let's go back, let's go way on back when_

_I didn't even know you, you couldn't have been too much more than ten_

_I ain't no psychiatrist, I ain't no doctor with a degree_

_It don't take too much high IQs to see w hat you're doing to me_

_You better think (think) think about what you're trying to do to me_

_Yeah, think (think, think), let your mind go, let yourself be free_

_Oh freedom (freedom), freedom (freedom), freedom, yeah freedom_

_Freedom (freedom), freedom (freedom), freedom, oh freedom_

_Hey, think about it_

_You, think about it_

_There ain't nothing you could ask I could answer you but I won't (I won't)_

_I was gonna change, but I'm not, to keep doing things I don't_

_Hey think about w hat you're trying to do to me_

_Baby, think, let your mind go, let yourself be free_

_People walking around everyday, playing games that they can score_

_Trying to make other people lose their minds, be careful you don't lose yours_

_Yeah think (think) think about what you're trying to do to me_

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (think, think), let your mind go, let yourself be free_

_You need me (need me) and I need you (don't you know )_

_Without each other there ain't nothing people can do_

_Yeah yeah, think about me (w hat you're trying to do to me)_

_till the fall of the night, think about it right now_

_Oh freedom (freedom), freedom (freedom), freedom, yeah freedom_

_Freedom (freedom), freedom (freedom), freedom, freedom_

_Hey, you, think about it_

_There ain't nothing you could ask I could answer you but I won't (I won't)_

_I was gonna change, but I'm not, if you keep doing things I don't_

_Yeah (think) think about w hat you're trying to do to me_

_Baby, think (think, think), let your mind go, let yourself be free_

_You need me (need me) and I need you (don't you know )_

_Without each other there ain't nothing people can do_

_Yeah yeah, think about me (w hat you're trying to do to me)_

_till the fall of the night, think about it baby_

_(think about - ah me, think about - ah me, think about - ah me, think about it)_

_(think about - ah me, think about - ah me, think about - ah me, think about it)_

_(think about - ah me, think about - ah me, think about - ah me, think about it)_

_(think about - ah me, think about - ah me, think about - ah me, think about it)_

_You had better stop and think before you think_

_Think!_

Aretha's character was strong, opinionated, and successful but yet still seeing that being together was better than not. Asuka giggled at Aretha pushing her husband around and his reaction to her voice. As Aretha's husband took off his apron on the screen and walked out of the diner on the screen, Asuka leaned back into Shinji and whispered, "Don't get any ideas, Third. I like you being more assertive, but don't forget who's the boss."

Shinji stiffened a moment and stammered, "W-w-what? I-I didn't' get any ideas." Then, he realized what she was really saying. "I love you too," he whispered with a little hug.

The rest of the movie went by without too much additional commentary, except for the "Ya see, ma'am, we're the band comment" by Jake. Asuka poked Shinji and said, "We should have had Hikari say something like that to introduce you."

But, there was one number that did trigger some reflection in the family. "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love."

_Everybody needs somebody_

_Everybody needs somebody to love (someone to love)_

_Sweetheart to miss (sweetheart to miss)_

_Sugar to kiss (sugar to kiss)_

_I need you you you_

_I need you you you_

_I need you you you in the morning_

_I need you you you when my souls on fire_

Misato got a kind of far away looked fueled by the music and the beer. It was painfully obvious who she was thinking about, especially considering that Kaji was not one of the souls to come back. It was like a scab on her heart that she couldn't stop picking at . . .

_Sometimes I feel_

_I feel a little sad inside_

_When my baby mistreats me_

_I never never never have a place to hide_

_I need you_

A little chuckle escaped Rei as she thought about Shinji and Asuka's relationship. But, it did trigger a curiosity about whether she would ever be able to find someone.

_Sometimes I feel_

_I feel a little sad inside_

_When my baby mistreats me_

_I never never never have a place to hide_

_I need you you you_

_I need you you you_

_I need you you you_

_I need you you you_

_I need you_

_You know people when you do find that somebody_

_Hold that woman, hold that man_

_Love him, hold him, squeeze her, please her, hold her_

_Squeeze and please that person, give 'em all your love_

_Signify your feelings with every gentle caress_

_Because it's so important to have that special somebody_

_To hold, kiss, miss, squeeze and please_

_Everybody needs somebody_

_Everybody needs somebody to love_

_Someone to love_

_Sweetheart to miss_

_Sugar to kiss_

Shinji and Asuka had similar thoughts about having finally found that someone who understood - understood the gnawing insecurities of broken homes; understood the pain and heartache of being Eva pilots; understood pain of lost parents but seeing parents everywhere around you; understood what it was like to be alone and desperately wanting to not be; understood living with deep fears about so many things, especially about admitting those fears and feelings.

They were both old beyond their years and terribly immature. It was this understanding that they truly only found in each other and could never find in anyone else. This strange combination manifested in Asuka's giggle as Shinji kissed her ear and tightened his embrace.

_I need you you you_

_I need you you you_

_I need you you you_

Misato stretched and yawned, "I'm going to bed. It's been a long day." With that she made a staggering exit to her room and slid the door shut. The three teens heard a muffled thump and relatively loud snoring.

With a knowing glance, Rei also announced that she was going to bed.

As Shinji carried the empty popcorn bowls to the kitchen, Asuka scooped the empty beer cans into the recycling bin. Sliding up behind Shinji as he washed the bowls, she caught him in a hug.

"Shinji, thank you for the strawberries."

Shinji put down the now clean bowls and spun on his heel to return the embrace.

"Anytime, sweetheart," replied Shinji in a passable Humphrey Bogart before kissing her soundly.

"I'm ready for bed. Carry me?" demanded Asuka like a little girl.

With a small laugh, Shinji carried Asuka to her room and received a good night kiss in payment before practically passing out on his bed – a happy smile on his face.

**Author's Parting Shots**: Well, I snuck a couple of old school, blues tunes in on you along with some movie quotes. I may quote the movies a little more if the situation arises. We'll get back to the band next chapter. Hope you enjoyed it.


	8. Last Kiss and Catharsis

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x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- WAFF WARNING! BEWARE! -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

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"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 7: Last Kiss and Catharsis **

_The Path to School_

Monday had arrived as an overcast, cool morning with a threat of rain. Unlike many other mornings, Rei, Asuka, and Shinji actually had gotten an early start to the day and were enjoying a relatively relaxed stroll to school.

Rei was carrying her school bag hooked onto the end of her umbrella with her umbrella over her shoulder. She had recently been taught to whistle by Shinji and was practicing by whistling the same song he had sung to her at the dance.

Asuka and Shinji were holding hands now that they no longer had to hide their relationship from the random encounters with classmates. In fact, Shinji was carrying both their school bags as well. He was in a surprisingly good mood this morning. The family had had an uneventful weekend that allowed him to feel like he had finally recharged his batteries and achieved a semblance of normality and stability in his life. He had even had a chance to spend an uninterrupted afternoon with Asuka.

_Flashback: Sunday in the Park_

Shinji and Asuka sat on a grassy hill overlooking much of the city enjoying the cool, autumn breeze in the warm afternoon sun. Asuka had a hold of Shinji's arm and had leaned her head onto his shoulder.

"Shinji?"

"hmm?"

"Are you happy?"

A bit startled at that question coming in unannounced, "Why do you ask?"

"Shinji, you're not supposed to answer a question with another question," replied Asuka as she lifted her head to look her boyfriend in the eye. "But, to answer your question, no reason. I was just curious."

Shinji raised a skeptical eyebrow but wisely decided to just answer the question. He had learned that Asuka was rarely "just curious" but that these lines of "curiosity" typically led to the discussion she wanted to have, but didn't want to just come right out and ask.

"I think so. I don't have a lot of experience being happy, remember?" replied Shinji as a he gave her a rueful little smile.

"Aaaaannnd?" prodded Asuka.

"Let me try and take stock a different way. Happy plus – I have a beautiful girlfriend who loves me," ticked of Shinji to be rewarded with a quick hug and kiss. "Happy plus – our friends are back and safe. Happy plus – I have a new mom and sister who love me. Happy plus – with the deal we took with the UN, there is a lot less stress in my life. Happy minus – I'm still in the military and a test pilot at that."

"So, is being a pilot making you sad?"

"I wouldn't say that it's making me sad. It's just not what I really want to do for the rest of my life. I've found other things I want to do and spend my effort on. I guess, right now, I just view it as a temporary job," Shinji had the first steps of an intuitive leap pattering about in his head and blurted out, "How about you? Are you happy about the piloting commitment?"

"Well, being a pilot was always a big part of who I was. It formed a major portion of my identity. I don't think I'm ready to let go of it yet."

"That's good. Because, with you earning a pilot's salary I can become a musician and house husband while you bring home the paycheck," teased Shinji.

"Lazy, free-loading baka," retorted Asuka with a playful slap to the shoulder.

The conversation had slipped into a comfortable silence as they continued to look out over the city. The implications of the end of the conversation had gone unspoken, but not unnoticed as Shinji put his arm around Asuka and she hugged him closer to her.

_End Flashback_

The trio of teens entered the school main courtyard at an unhurried stroll. Rei had mercifully stopped whistling the same tune over and over. Asuka had made a mental note to have Shinji teach her some other songs, so they could at least have some variety on the walks to and from school. As they made their way to their lockers, they were the subject of some interesting looks and whispered conversations. This was all pointedly ignored by Shinji and Asuka as they had always been the subject of such gossip, but Rei was a bit unsettled. While the students had always gossiped about her, she had never really taken notice and rarely even acknowledged it.

It was into this mental churning that a pile love of letters spilled out onto the floor as Rei opened her shoe locker. Rei knelt to pick them up and noticed both the subject and quantity of the letters with address lines such as "To my beautiful goddess" and "To my darling Ayanami". Looking up at Shinji and Asuka with a confused and almost pleading expression, "What is the meaning of all of this correspondence?"

Shinji glanced at Asuka and quipped, "Yours."

Asuka merely rolled her eyes and suppressed both a growl of annoyance and a giggle as letters fell out of Shinji's locker as he opened his.

Turning back to Rei, "Don't worry about it. We'll talk about these at lunch. Just stick them back in the locker for now."

Shinji had shoved the letters back into his locker as a similar avalanche fell out of Asuka's. Asuka didn't bother with putting them back in her locker and merely stomped them into little dirty pieces and threw them in the trashcan. Looking at Rei and Shinji, she quoted Westley, "I can't afford to make exceptions. Once word leaks out that a pirate has gone soft, people begin to disobey you, and then it's nothing but work, work, work, all the time."

The laughing trio made their way to the classroom. The normal routine of class started but Shinji was quickly bored. They had history first and nothing about it was in anyway appealing, so he opened his school computer to be met with messages filling his inbox. It seems that his appeal to the girls in school had gone up considerably now that Asuka had proven that he was interested in girls. Shinji just began to delete those messages out of hand. He wasn't interested in them at all. The threats of violence from jealous boys were also summarily deleted.

He sighed and looked over at Asuka to find her doing the same thing. A glance at Rei found her not staring out at the sky as was her normal routine but also trying to manage the electronic onslaught of fanboys vying for her attention.

Shinji just decided to mentally check out of class. In truth, the only parts of their school education that interested him were math, science, kanji, and English. Everything else just seemed like drivel, and science only interested him because they had mercifully left biology behind and were learning more of the physical sciences. As his mind wandered, it drifted off to his favorite daydream – Asuka, but was rudely brought back to reality by a message alert.

Seeing that it was from Kensuke, he opened it to find a digital picture of him kissing Asuka on stage. In the text of the message were a bunch captions from Kensuke and Toji that were basically of one of two themes: "The Newlyweds seal their vows" and "The Demoness Claims Her First Soul". Shinji was about to fire off a reply when the lunch bell rang. Startled at having little recollection of the past couple of hours, Shinji grabbed his bento and headed to the roof with Toji and Kensuke while Asuka, Rei, and Hikari wandered off to talk about "girl stuff".

The Stooges had eaten in relative silence with only some idle chat regarding music practice that afternoon. It was obvious that Toji and Kensuke were gearing up to ask something. Putting down his chopsticks, Shinji motioned to them to just come right out and ask.

"It's been weeks and I still don't understand why you're with _her_," mumbled Toji around a rice ball from the lunch Hikari had made for him.

"Yeah, what's the attraction of the Red Devil that caused you to sell your soul to her?" added Kensuke.

"She can be such a biatch sometimes," announced Toji, piling on even before Shinji could respond.

"Why couldn't you have picked Hideko instead?" prompted Kensuke not really realizing that only he and Toji were having a conversation. This continued for a couple of minutes until Shinji finally put an end to it.

"Look, let's end this right now," interrupted Shinji with a forcefulness that surprised his friends. "It's a little complicated, and I haven't sorted through all of this yet. But, since you're my friends, I'll tell you what I can." Seeing nods from his friends to continue, Shinji took a breath and started, "First off, you need to stop calling a biatch and stuff. It's not appropriate any more. The reason I'm with her is the same reason that I'm not with one of the other girls – they just don't understand. She's the only one who has been through the same things – Eva, losing our moms, all of it. She knows me, and I know her. She's always been there for me, and when I'm with her, I feel like I can be better and can hope for something more. It's like an empty place in me is suddenly full when she's around. So, that's why you need to stop calling her names. It's really bothering me."

Just as Shinji finished a shadow crossed over the Stooges. As a group, they all looked up to find Asuka looking down at them. All three Stooges immediately began to sweat in the crisp, cool breeze. Surprisingly, it was Shinji who broke the awkward silence.

"um, hi, Asuka-chan. Uhhh, how long have you been there?"

"Long enough to know that I am the Red Devil Biatch," she snarled at Toji and Kensuke. Shinji just cringed at the tone. "Scram you two. I want to talk to Shinji."

Realizing that discretion was the better part of valor, Kensuke and Toji beat a hasty retreat with Kensuke shouting over his shoulder, "We'll see you in class if you survive."

Shinji just shook his head and heaved a heavy sigh as he watched his retreating friends. Asuka sat down next to Shinji causing him to turn back to her only to be surprised at the smile on her face.

"You're not mad?"

"No, I really don't care what they think. But, what you said was very sweet, Shin-chan, Do you remember what I said this morning about not letting them think I'd gone soft?" replied Asuka, giving him a little hug.

"Heh, yes, I remember," laughed Shinji. "I thought you were having lunch with Hikari and Rei because you had to talk about girl stuff?"

"Well, we did talk about girl stuff – mostly about the letters that Rei got this morning." Asuka noticed the slight frown on Shinji's face as if he had come to a certain realization about the letters. With a small giggle, "Don't worry. We'll let you exercise all of your overly-protective, big brother instincts."

"What? I – I – I wasn't . . . what do you mean 'overly'?" stammered Shinji.

"Shinji, you're so easy to tease! But, that's not all we talked about."

"Oh?"

"We want to be a part of the band," declared Asuka with a firmness that surprised Shinji.

"In what way?" was about all Shinji could do to delay the inevitable discussion.

"Well, you've been teaching me guitar, so I could probably do that. Rei wants to learn bass. She got that idea stuck in her head from some video she watched of a girl playing bass in a band – some American group that I didn't recognize. Hikari doesn't actually want to be in the band, but she could probably be the manager. She's actually quite good at driving a hard bargain."

Shinji pondered the sudden and surprising proposal put forward by his girlfriend. It was also surprising that Asuka hadn't tried the sexy, wheedle something from your boyfriend gambit. She'd actually just put it out on the table for its own merits - that in and of itself deserved some consideration. Shinji went down that little side alley and concluded that she must be serious about this to have not tried any of the usual games. It also probably meant something else, something like Shinji being on relatively equal footing with her now, at least in Asuka's perspective. Shinji started at that not really sure that HE was ready for that kind of revelation.

For her part, Asuka merely waited as patiently as she could as Shinji tried to sort through his thoughts. She had come to realize that Shinji's silence didn't me 'no'. It merely meant that he was giving it the serious consideration that he felt it deserved – and rightly so, didn't this come from her, his beautiful and intelligent girlfriend?

"Well, I don't see any reason why not. But, what about Toji and Kensuke? I doubt that they'll just agree to this?" wondered Shinji out loud.

"Baka-kun, do you really think we didn't have a plan for this? You guys really are Stooges," harumphed Asuka. In an irritatingly superior tone, she began to explain to Shinji as if he were a child. "Hikari will convince Toji. Once I tell her you agreed. Kensuke will whine about it, but he's committed to this band thing. Haven't you heard the rumors that he might actually have a real girl interested in him now? I mean he did get to dance with one. Besides, he'll do whatever you and Toji say."

Shinji just stared at Asuka and realized how much she wanted this and the level of planning she had put into making it happen. "Asuka-chan, I'll agree on one condition."

"Okay, name it."

"Tell me why you want to be a part of the band."

Asuka sat up a little straighter. This was definitely not the condition she had expected. She had figured there would be something along the lines of no girly tunes or something like that. A query into her motivations was completely out of the blue and she was at a loss for words.

"Um, well . . . I . . . just . . . hmm," was about all she could get out while Shinji waited patiently for her to gather her thoughts. "Fine."

Shinji just nodded and smiled waiting for her to continue.

Taking his hand in hers and playing with his fingers to calm her nerves, Asuka dropped her eyes to their hands. "I know how much music means to you and I . . . I . . . I'm . . . I'm scared that it will take my place in your heart if I'm not a part of your music," blurted out Asuka.

Shinji could feel her hands shaking in his and suddenly realized what it must have taken for Asuka to have admitted that to him much less herself. He pulled her into a warm embrace to whisper in her ear, "Asuka-chan, nothing could take your place in my heart, not even music. Liebchen, I promised you we'd always be together."

A wave of relief washed the tension and anxiety out of Asuka and she pulled Shinji into a passionate kiss that he enthusiastically returned. Their moment was interrupted by the bell signaling the restart of classes in a few minutes. As they pulled back, Shinji helped Asuka to her feet and said, "Besides, like they said in the movie, 'This is true love. Do you think that happens everyday?'"

"Baka!" replied Asuka with a playful slap as they started towards class.

_Classroom_

Shinji and Asuka appeared in the doorway to the classroom holding hands. They didn't even realize that they were. It had reached a point where it just felt natural, and they did it unconsciously. Their classmates, however, hadn't reached that point and a general uproar ensued with looks of jealousy and disappointment, conversations erupted between groups of girls and boys, and Toji and Kensuke each wore a vaguely sour look at the development. In the middle of this, Hikari looked expectantly at Asuka who gave her a small nod. Beaming, Hikari stood and shouted, "QUIET!"

The silence in the room was absolute, not counting the ringing in the ears of the students closest to Hikari. All that was necessary to complete the tableau would have been a tumbleweed blowing past in the dust.

"I just got a notice that we have free study this afternoon because some teachers have called in sick," continued Hikari. "Keep the noise down or else the other teachers will be in here to administer disciplinary assignments."

In the general confusion, Asuka and Shinji made it to their seats. The class was a little rowdy but the realization that a teacher in the next room could walk in and drop discipline assignments on them kept them mostly in check. Asuka and Shinji watched as Hikari went over to Toji and began the brow-beating process to agree to Asuka's plan. Shinji watched in amusement as Toji went through denial, then anger, then mute acceptance under the onslaught Hikari unleashed on him. With every glance from Toji, Shinji merely replied with a serene smile much to his friend's consternation.

_Club Time in the Music Room_

The group of friends had reformed in the music room where they had set up their instruments. The long discussion with Kensuke had occurred and while neither he nor Toji were taking it well, they really didn't have many alternatives.

Shinji, on the other hand, had absolutely no problem with it. For him, good music was good music. The band wasn't some sort of "guys thing" and he really thought Kensuke and Toji were moping around as some sort of revenge on the girls.

As they had done every previous practice, they pulled out a new tune to learn to keep practice fresh. It wasn't a very hard tune – it's roots were back in the glory days of rock and roll, so it really seemed like just a three chord deal. It actually allowed Asuka and Rei to get up to speed pretty quickly and it gave Shinji a chance to come close to memorizing the tune.

"It's almost the end of club period. How about you guys try a full run through like a dress rehearsal?" asked Hikari as she eyed the group of students who had gathered in the hallway and in the room. While new for her, it was actually old hat to the boys. People were always stopping in to listen.

Getting nods from everyone, Asuka leaned over to Shinji, "Hey, you need to put a little emotion into this. I heard you earlier and all the vocals just seemed a little flat."

"Uhhh, ok. It is the dress rehearsal after all," replied a sheepish Shinji who had in fact been a little lazy about the vocals.

At this Toji counted off "Last Kiss" by Pearl Jam.

_Oh where, oh where, can my baby be?_

_The Lord took her away from me_

_She's gone to heaven, so I've got to be good_

_So I can see my baby when I leave this world_

Shinji had inadvertently drawn links to his most painful memories of the times when he had thought he had lost Asuka. His voice was full of the heartbreaking loss and anguish associated with those memories . . .

_We were out on a date in my daddy's car_

_We hadn't driven very far_

_There in the road, straight ahead_

_A car was stalled, the engine was dead_

_I couldn't stop, so I swerved to the right_

_I'll never forget the sound that night_

_The screamin' tires, the bustin' glass_

_The painful scream that I heard last_

Shinji's eyes closed and while he was physically singing in the middle of a junior high school, his mind was back in that horrible battle where he was forced to remain locked within the Eva cages while Asuka's mind was defiled by the Angel. He remembered the horrible sound of her screams echoing through his skull as he begged and pleaded to be allowed to save her.

_Oh where, oh where, can my baby be?_

_The Lord took her away from me_

_She's gone to heaven, so I've got to be good_

_So I can see my baby when I leave this world_

Shinji's personal guilt dragged him away from the screaming to the memories of Asuka comatose in the NERV hospital. He had felt so alone - the crushing weight of having not been there for her squeezing the will to live out of him.

_When I woke up the rain was pourin' down_

_There were people standing all around_

_Something warm rollin' through my eyes_

_But somehow I found my baby that night_

_I lifted her head, she looked at me and said,_

_"Hold me darling, just a little while"_

_I held her close, I kissed her our last kiss_

_I found the love that I knew I would miss._

His subconscious delivered the _coup de gras_. It brought him back to Asuka's fight with the MP Evas. It dragged him back through the guilt of having been too late because he was too weak to stand up to his fears. It reminded him of the howl of despair he had unleashed at believing she was dead – taken from him forever. Shinji had actually started to tremble and tears began streaming down his face. This brought worried glances from his friends who were wondering what was happening.

_Well now she's gone_

_even though I hold her tight_

_I lost my love, my life, that night._

Shinji was back in those horrible images of Third Impact and the gut wrenching temptation to accept the blissful ignorance of pain and heartache. He was so close to giving in, to making it all just stop . . .

Oh where, oh where, can my baby be?

The Lord took her away from me

She's gone to heaven, so I've got to be good

Asuka had not played the last verse. She had put her guitar down and reached him as he finished the last verse sobbing and trembling, lost in the pain and guilt that had been his father's hope to push him into accepting the siren's song of Third Impact. Rei, with and inkling of what was happening, motioned for the others to clear the room and give Asuka and Shinji some privacy.

As the others left the room, Asuka cupped Shinji's face trying to get him to open his eyes and come back to the here and now.

"Shinji . . . Shin-chan . . . sweetie, it's ok," was all she got out before Shinji sat down hard on the floor still sobbing and shaking, his eyes now open and unseeing.

Asuka followed Shinji to the floor and was kneeling in front of him having not release his face. Looking into his unseeing eyes, she desperately sought some way to bring him back. She gave him a solid kiss and again looked into his eyes and saw them focus in on her face. Asuka saw the realization within Shinji that he wasn't back in the dream world of Third Impact and that Asuka wasn't gone. She was startled when he clutched her into a fierce embrace with a new round of sobbing as she heard him repeating over and over, "I'm sorry . . . so sorry . . . "

"Baka-kun. I'm right here. What are you sorry about now?" Asuka whispered to him while rubbing his back with one hand, trying to get Shinji to calm down and come back from the brink of where ever he was. It took a few minutes for Asuka to soothe Shinji's shattered nerves enough for him to finally explain.

Looking into her eyes with a gaze racked with guilt, "I couldn't save you. I wasn't there when you needed me most. I was afraid. I wasn't strong enough."

Asuka's features softened in understanding. She knew exactly what he meant. In those long, non-days on the LCL beach, he had punished himself for not having been her knight in shining armor. She had thought that he had been able to let go of the guilt during those painful discussions, but obviously he hadn't. This time, though, she information she didn't have during those last talks.

"Shinji, look at me," she commanded as she held his face. "You don't need to apologize. You did save me. You were strong enough to reject Instrumentality and save a world for me to come back to you. You saved us _all_." She was watching him closely. Asuka had become a very keen observer of Shinji-isms, and she saw that he was starting to understand. "If I hadn't forgiven you, would I do this?" she asked right before pulling him into a deep, kiss. She knew that she had gotten him to understand as he began to return the kiss and the embrace went from tentative to bone crushing tight. As they came up for air, she rested her forehead against his, "But if you still feel like you need to be punished, I'm sure I can think of _something_ for you to do," came the mischievous little laugh.

"ASUKA!" blurted out Shinji at once shocked and, truth be told, a little excited.

Asuka caught Shinji's gaze in her own, and, in a more serious tone, "Baka-kun, I love you, but you need to stop punishing yourself for sins of the past. We've got a whole future together that you'll miss if you continue living in the past."

"I love you, too. I'll keep trying. I . . . I think I may be past this. I don't feel that same weight that I did before," admitted Shinji.

Looking closely at him, Asuka was both hopeful and a little skeptical, "We'll see. Do you feel ready to go home, because I'm hungry and it's your turn to make dinner."

"I always make dinner, and I think so."

As they stood, and headed towards their relieved friends, their hands found each other automatically, and they started their trip home.

**Author's Parting Shots**: Didn't really have any for this one :) Hope you enjoyed this chappy. Next one up soon. Actually, I did have one. If you have these tunes, you should listen to them while you read the chapters – it provides a soundtrack for the scene.


	9. Flakes of All That I Want

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 8: Flakes of All That I Want **

* * *

_Friday Afternoon, NERV Operations Conference Room_

* * *

Three very bored children and three very bored bridge officers sat in NERV's break room – the room Misato had informally designated as the NERV Operations Conference room. To pass the time while they waited for the perpetually late Operations Director to have their first team meeting since Asuka, Rei, and Shinji had accepted commissions, each of them had found something to occupy themselves. Aoba and Hyuuga were playing cards. Maya was reading a technical research report. Asuka and Rei were alternately flipping back and forth between fashion and music magazines. Shinji idly strummed chords and rhythms on the acoustic guitar he brought home from school to do a little bit of practice. 

The seconds dragged on seeming like months of forced incarceration to the small team.

"Rei," announced Asuka in an excited voice. "Isn't this the band with the girl for a bass player that you like? The one from America?" queried Asuka as she pointed to the article in the rock magazine complete with color glossies.

Scanning the page with a pilot's eye, "That's them, _Pharitse_. They're pretty cool. The article is right that they've been pretty hard to categorize, musically. They play lots of stuff pretty well and don't seem to have a dominant style yet, but they've only released the one album so far."

Taking the magazine back, Asuka continued to read. "Hey, this says they're on tour promoting their first album and that they're planning to open for someone here in Japan as part of their promotion. We should try and get tickets."

A dreamy look passed across Rei's face much to the shock and surprise of Aoba, Hyuuga, and Maya having not spent a lot of time around Rei recently. "Yeahhhhhh . . . that'd be too cool. I want to hear the bass player do that solo live . . . Asuka, do you think I could get one of the boys at school to take me to the concert on a date?"

This brought a choked gurgle from Maya as she tried to recover from having tea go down the wrong pipe. Aoba and Hyuuga's checkers game stalled as they tried to recover higher brain function.

Shinji, on the other hand, only looked up while continuing to strum the guitar. Figuring to tease Maya a little more, "Maya, do you think Misato would let Rei go on a date?"

A little taken aback at the turn of events, Maya could only stutter out a, "M-Maybe."

Asuka, always quick on the uptake, piled on, "Even a date to a concert? With boys and all their hormone-driven perverted thoughts?"

"Maybe."

The conversation had triggered a memory within Shinji and the chords and strumming on the guitar began to take on a more structured and familiar pattern. "Do you think we could hire a limo to take her to the concert?"

"uhh, maybe" replied a now sweating and confused Maya.

Before Asuka could heap even more confusion on Maya, Shinji actually sang the lyrics to the tune he had been playing,

_It seems to me that maybe_

_It pretty much always means, no_

Much to the amusement of everyone in the room. Life at NERV had definitely lightened up with the transition in leadership from Shinji's father to UN military command.

Asuka slid the magazine over to Rei pounced on it like a lioness on a gazelle. Looking over at Shinji, "Shinji, I'm bored."

Shinji immediately tensed remembering all of the other outcomes of that simple statement.

"Oh?"

"Is that all you can say? 'Oh?'"

"Um, sorry."

"That's you're whole vocabulary? 'Oh' and 'sorry'?" asked Asuka with an arched eyebrow.

Seeing that the conversation was rapidly headed downhill, Shinji did the only thing he could think of, "Do you want me to sing the rest of the song?"

"Pleeaase?" asked Asuka putting on her cute face, inwardly pleased at how easy it was to get what she wanted from Shinji.

Shaking his head, Shinji started back at the beginning of Jack Johnson's "Flake"

_I know she said, it's alright_

_You can make it up next time_

_I know she knows, it's not right_

_There ain't no use in lying_

_Maybe she thinks I know something_

_Maybe, maybe she thinks it's fine_

_May she knows something I don't_

_I'm so, I'm so tired, I'm so tired of trying_

Asuka had been watching Shinji's playing rather intently as this was one of the songs he was helping her learn. After the first verse, she just decided to enjoy the song and walked over behind his chair to wrap her arms around his neck.

_It seems to me that maybe_

_It pretty much always means, no_

_So don't tell me, you might just let it go_

_And often times we're lazy_

_It seems to stand in my way_

_Cause no one, no not, no one_

_Likes to be let down_

Maya blushed a little at the beginning of the last verse, but was rather entranced by the sight of Rei bobbing her head to the tune as she was reading the magazines. It reminded her of the contents of the report she was reading and she turned back a couple of pages.

_I know she loves the sunrise_

_No longer sees it with her sleeping eyes_

_And I know that when she said, she's gonna try_

_Well, it might not work because of other ties and_

_I know she usually has some other ties_

_And I wouldn't wanna break 'em, nah, I wouldn't wanna break 'em_

_Maybe she'll help me to untie this, but_

_Until then well, I'm gonna have to lie to her_

_It seems to me that maybe_

_It pretty much always means, no_

_So don't tell me, you might just let it go_

_And often times we're lazy_

_It seems to stand in my way_

_Cause no one, no not, no one_

_Likes to be let down_

_It seems to me that maybe_

_It pretty much always means, no_

_So don't tell me, you might just let it go_

Shinji began a little acoustic solo. It was a pretty low key solo with some interesting note bends on the fret board and a tasty lick or two, but nothing that was a high-speed technical challenge since it really wasn't that kind of tune.

_The harder that you try baby, the further you'll fall_

_Even with all the money in the whole wide world_

_Please, please, please don't pass me_

_Please, please, please don't pass me_

_Please, please, please don't pass me by_

_Everything you know about me now, baby you gonna have to change_

_You goin' to call it, by a brand new name_

_Please, please, please don't drag me_

_Please, please, please don't drag me_

_Please, please, please don't drag me down_

_Just like your tree, down by the water, baby I shall not move_

_Even after all the silly things you do_

_Please, please, please don't drag me_

_Please, please, please don't drag me_

_Please, please, please don't drag me down_

Shinji got a round of applause and whistles from the small group which now included Misato having made an entrance sometime during the tune. He gave a little head nod and raised one hand to return the hug from Asuka as she nibbled his ear.

"I hate to break up this little jam session, but we really do have business to accomplish," announced Misato as she sat down at the table. Shinji put his guitar away while Rei stashed the magazines back in her school bag. The group had all taken their seats as Misato pulled out a little pad with a bunch of notes on it.

"Current team assignments," Misato began in her 'no nonsense command voice' as everyone started taking notes. "We've been assigned a research project to assess the viability of using the Eva control system for purely mechanical vehicles. So, Maya, as research lead, we're going to need you to set up the project protocols. We'll probably want to start by establishing current performance levels in the old system. We'll need to look for a LCL replacement – probably synthetic. Those are the starting points, so I'll expect to see a research plan and schedule on Tuesday since we've been talking about this for a while. Aoba and Hyuuga are assigned to you as research assistants and then as strategy and tactics based on the capabilities we uncover. Rei, Shinji, and Asuka, the three of you are on research support. Based on this and some other items we're going to talk about, three of your five club periods are going to be here. Sorry about cutting into band practice, but you've gotta earn your keep."

Rei, Asuka, and Shinji merely nodded. They knew that the other shoe would drop sooner or later, but on the plus side, at least their military commitments would be more or less on a regular schedule – something that they had, unconsciously, been craving for a while.

"Moving on to the three of you, specifically," continued Misato looking at the Three Children. "I've notified your school that on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, your PE class is moved to the end of the day and you'll be leaving to have 'PE' here. For a variety of reasons, each of you will receive some individualized instruction while not supporting research. Common to all of you will be some counter-intelligence / counter-surveillance techniques. I want you to be very aware of your surroundings. As you know, there are still elements that would like to get hold of you for a variety of unsavory reasons. Specific training items are: Shinji, we have a Tai Chi teacher here to train you in wushu. It's a style that should work well for you and you need the discipline and hand-to-hand skills. Asuka, you are going to be working tactics with me. Rei, you will be going to the firing range to work on both pistol and rifle. These are all lower priority than research support, but I'm sure you'll get 'homework'."

All three children were a little taken aback by the latest round of assignments. Rei was pleased. She had developed an affinity for firearms and the prospect of continued use was the most appealing part. Shinji was more than a little apprehensive. Martial arts training seemed like a huge step to him and while he had made great personal strides in developing a spine, it really only manifested around the family and his close friends. Asuka, on the other had, had a complex series of reactions. She was delighted to be in the tactics and command area and happy that Shinji would have someone else pushing him to develop a spine, but she didn't necessarily like being separated from him and liked having to spend the large amount of time with Misato instead.

"Here are your debit cards and account statements. Don't go berserk with the money. You don't get another deposit until next month and we can't afford you guys drawing too much attention to yourselves by spending like drunken sailors."

"So, that about wraps it up." Looking at Maya, Aoba, and Hyuuga, "I'll let you guys get back to the command center. Rei, the medical staff wants another checkup. Asuka and Shinji, you have some free time. I'll be in my office. When Rei get's back from the medicos, we can go home." And with that, the little meeting was concluded.

Soon Shinji and Asuka found themselves alone in the break room. They could hear Misato on the phone in her office a couple of doors down the hall, but lacking anything meaningful to do, Shinji just got the guitar out again, and they sat down on the decrepit little couch that had been installed in the break room via a "midnight requisition".

Asuka had decided that she didn't want to be relegated to one end of the couch, so she sat down in Shinji's lap and forced him to maneuver the guitar around her as he began to play the same song he had been practicing before – oddly, Asuka couldn't recall the name. With a small sigh, she leaned her head against his shoulder and gave his chest a little hug.

"Asuka-chan, that's a pretty heavy sigh for a Friday afternoon," ventured Shinji.

"Yeah . . . "

"You're not happy with the assignments? Why didn't you tell Misato during the meeting?"

"Well . . . it's not that I'm unhappy with them. I mean I like the idea of doing tactics and stuff, but I don't like not being able to spend my afternoons with you. I'm not really sure about having Misato teach me either. But, I do like the fact that you can now be like that guy we saw in that old movie . . . what's his name . . . Jet Li," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"W – w – who? Oh . . . well, that may take quite a while if ever. Besides, didn't those movies end badly for him? I don't know why I'm the only one who has to go to martial arts training," whined Shinji.

"Baka-kun, sometimes you can be sooooo slow. You're the one who typically ended up in hand to hand combat when we fought before. You haven't had any real training in hand to hand. You need to learn that, and it'll be good for your self discipline. I mean think about the assignments Misato gave. It's like we're a little combat team – Rei is weapons, you're close in fighting, and I'm tactical command. Didn't you get that?"

"Sort of, but I guess I didn't really believe it until you told me."

"That's because you need my guidance which is why I'm in command – the great Asuka Langley Soryu," teased Asuka, but her voice betrayed a hint of something else that Shinji picked up on over the notes of the strumming guitar.

"Asuka-chan, will you tell me now what's bothering you?" asked Shinji.

Asuka was silent for what seemed like an eternity, but just as Shinji was about to ask again, Asuka gave his neck a small kiss and settled back down to tell him. "I guess it's like the band. I just want to be with you and now, I can't. You'll be doing things without me. What if the sensei's a woman? She'll have you all to herself."

Shinji had a small smile at the admission of a little bit of jealousy and insecurity from Asuka understanding full well what it had taken her to admit that to him much less herself. Things definitely had progressed a long way from when they had first met, but they both still had their insecurities and they hadn't been together long enough to have addressed them in a long term way. In response to her admission, he nuzzled the top of her head with his nose and inhaled the scent of her shampoo. He heard her let out another little sigh.

"Sweetie," she asked in her little girl voice – the one she knew he couldn't refuse. "Would you sing me a song?"

The little gears inside of Shinji's head all meshed at once to power the tiny light bulb above his head. Asuka needed to be reassured of her place within his heart, and probably would continually need to be reassured, just like he needed reassurance from her, for the rest of their lives together.

"How about this one? It can be our song. The one that you can always know is for you and only you from me no matter where we are or who's playing it."

Shinji began to play, singing softly to Asuka ("All I Want is You" by U2).

_You say you want_

_Diamonds on a ring of gold_

_You say you want_

_Your story to remain untold_

_But all the promises we make_

_From the cradle to the grave_

_When all I want is you_

_You say you'll give me_

_A highway with no one on it_

_Treasure just to look upon it_

_All the riches in the night_

Misato had hung up the phone and was reading the last report of the day when she heard Shinji's voice softly echoing down the hall. It was an odd juxtaposition of events as she was also reading the psychological evaluations of all three pilots as part of the normal "return to flight" assessments. The particular paragraph was mentioning the extreme interdependence of Asuka and Shinji – that one without the other would probably have nearly catastrophic psychological damage and would, in most scenarios, mentally cease to function rationally. Misato closed the report and leaned back in her chair thinking about what she had read while listening to Shinji's voice continue to echo down the hallway.

_You say you'll give me_

_Eyes in a moon of blindness_

_A river in a time of dryness_

_A harbor in the tempest_

_But all the promises we make_

_From the cradle to the grave_

_When all I want is you_

_You say you want_

_Your love to work out right_

_To last with me through the night_

_You say you want_

_Diamonds on a ring of gold_

_Your story to remain untold_

_Your love not to grow cold_

Asuka turned to look at Shinji and absently ran her fingers through his hair before stroking the side of his face. She had begun to feel better. The little insecurity hunger had been fed, and she could see the commitment in his eyes. It was a strange, new feeling for her to be able to accept the unconditional love after having pushed so many people away, and now that she had it, she didn't want to lose it.

_All the promises we break_

_From the cradle to the grave_

_When all I want is you_

Cutting off the last verse of the song, her hand slipped behind Shinji's head and pulled his face to hers. Shinji let the guitar slide to the floor and wrapped her in an embrace and felt her warmth against him. Reluctantly ending the kiss, Asuka whispered, "How cliché. We have 'our' song."

Chuckling, Shinji could only respond, "Yeah, but we're living our life in a big cliché, aren't we? Besides, you're as much a hopeless romantic as I am."

Sliding off of Shinji to stand and stretch, "Bah, whatever. What's keeping everyone?"

Also standing to stretch and then making his way over to a drink machine, he selected an orange drink for himself and a cola one for Asuka. "You know the medical staff. They've always run at their own pace. Besides, with how often we've all been in that infirmary, it really doesn't pay to make them angry."

"Jeez, don't remind me. I hate hospitals," grumbled Asuka as she took a long drink of her soda.

Rei and Misato made their appearance in the break room with the announcement that it was time to go home.

_Later That Evening – Katsuragi Residence_

Misato had crashed in her room and her snores could be softly heard through the closed door by all three children who had gathered in Shinji's room. Rei lay sprawled on the floor amidst manga and music magazines. Asuka lay on Shinji's bed reading her latest manga obsession. Shinji had pulled his cello out and was reacquainting himself with this old friend. They looked like three normal teens enjoying some free time – something they didn't seem to get a lot of.

Shinji actually had started to play a version of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" on his cello – primarily just the main melodic passages – as a bit of an experiment. Asuka looked up intrigued by the melody. She was familiar enough with classical music to know that the melody would have to have been transcribed for cello, but here Shinji was doing it mostly by feel.

This was all interrupted by the "Fly Me to the Moon" ringtone of Shinji's cell.

Not even looking at the caller id, Shinji just answered "Moshi Moshi. I see. Who shall I say is calling? Well, I will see if she's free to take calls."

Turning to Asuka, "It's Hikari. Would you like to speak to her or should I just take a message?"

"Baka! Give me the phone." Retorted Asuka. Taking the phone from Hikari, Asuka adjourned to the living room only to come back minutes later.

"She said that she and Toji want to know if we want to grab dessert with them."

Rei raised her head from the pile of magazines and manga to give a sleepy look at Asuka, "Count me out. I'm just going to go to sleep."

"Shinji?"

"Sure. I'll go."

"Hikari? Shinji and I will meet you there in half an hour. Ok. Bye."

Rei had piled the magazines and manga back into their usual spot and adjourned to brush her teeth as Asuka and Shinji headed out into the evening bundled in their jackets.

Asuka had linked her arm in Shinji's and was using that arm to guide him along the bustling street. Stopping in a small shop serving dessert crepes, they burst through the door to nearly run down Toji and Hikari. Exchanging pleasantries or at least civilized greetings in the case of Toji and Asuka, the teens adjourned to a table with their desserts.

"What have you guys been doing on your date?" queried Asuka.

Blushing, Hikari quickly glanced at Toji before answering. "Um, we went for a walk in the park and watched the sunset."

"Toji! I didn't think you had that kind of sensitivity in you," teased Asuka causing Toji to, uncharacteristically, blush and stammer.

The conversation and banter continued and eventually came around to the band.

"So, what's our new name going to be?" prompted Hikari.

"The Devil and Her Demons," muttered Toji, still smarting from having to let the girls into the band.

"Can it," came an uncharacteristically heated reply from Shinji who obviously heard the comment generating a startled look from Hikari and a narrowing of the eyes from Asuka, neither of whom had heard the comment.

"But Shinji, it was just the brotherhood. We were fine. We didn't need any new members."

"That's not what we're talking about and you know it. We had this discussion Monday. I told you then, and I'm telling you now - stop it," continued Shinji his voice rising.

"Okay, calm down, you'll have a stroke. It just slipped out, alright?" replied Toji – more than a little surprised at the heated, short fuse response from Shinji.

"Well, this better not happen again."

"What are you two talking about?" wondered a confused Hikari. Asuka had a theory but decided to ask Shinji later.

"Nothing worth repeating," was Shinji's terse reply as he continued to stare at Toji.

"Band name?" offered Toji as he tried to change the subject.

They kicked around a bunch of names settling on a couple to talk over when the whole group got together. Nothing really sounded good and they needed some additional input. Conversation eventually wound down and curfew was fast approaching. The couples said good night and headed off into the streetlights.

Asuka and Shinji returned to a darkened apartment with only the light from the bathroom, conveniently left on by Rei, guiding them to their rooms.

As Shinji settled himself onto his bed having completed his nightly routine, he realized that his door had opened. Looking up, he was surprised to see Asuka carrying her blanket looking very sleepy.

"What's the matter Asuka?"

Without a response, Asuka closed the door and spread her blanket on top of Shinji's. Sliding in under the covers, she snuggled up close to him and whispered, "I'm cold." Just as the words registered on Shinji, her cold toes touched his leg.

"Waaah! Your toes are like ice," exclaimed Shinji. He wrapped the shivering girl in a soft embrace only to realize that she was already asleep. Chuckling softly to himself, he tried to relax while idly stroking Asuka's hair thinking about yet another tumultuous day coming to a close. Sleep took its time before claiming him.

* * *

**Author's Parting Shots**: Thanks to Pharitse for the Rei as bass player idea. For that, Pharitse gets to make a guest appearance as a band influence. Who knows? It may come up again :P. I hope it lived up to expectations. New band name next chapter. So, I think that's plenty of new, potential plot lines. I think I now need to actually deliver on some of them eep 


	10. Dread Pirate Shinji Gets a Talk

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 9: The Dread Pirate Shinji Gets A Talk**

_Saturday Morning – Shinji's Lovely Suite_

Shinji awoke in his room relatively early having had the most relaxed and satisfying night's sleep within recent memory. He was about to stretch his numb arm when his sleepy brain registered the reason for the numbness – a certain red-headed form that chose that moment to snuggle back up to his chest and pull the blanket a little tighter. Shinji smiled to himself and settled back into the pillow, his free hand absently stroking Asuka's hair.

"hmmmm . . . morning . . . " mumbled a sleepy Asuka after a few minutes.

"Morning," came the contented reply from Shinji.

"Good morning, kids," came Misato's reply from the doorway.

Both Asuka and Shinji sat upright as if jolted by an electric shock. They stared apprehensively at their guardian who gave them one of her cute, chibi faces and said, "You look sooooo cute together."

"W-w-what?" sputtered Shinji, "It's not what you think . . ."

"Don't you even knock, Misato?" yelled Asuka over the top of Shinji's stuttering.

"What's all the yelling about?" queried a still sleepy Rei while rubbing her eyes and standing next to Misato in the doorway clutching a small stuffed animal in her hand looking, for all the world, like she was a grumpy toddler in her pajamas.

But, Misato's face changed back to her Sub-Commander face and the tone changed as well. "We need to talk. Get cleaned up and we'll talk over breakfast."

All three children glanced at each other. They knew that tone and that nothing good could come of it if Misato was using it at home.

Later that morning, Shinji was sitting down at the table with his plate having made breakfast for everyone. Misato had foregone her normal liquid breakfast and merely waited for the children to finish. She had watched Shinji and Asuka fairly closely since the dance, and while relieved that they seemed to be fairly mature and weren't pushing any boundaries on their relationship, Misato was still concerned that they were hormone driven teens with relatively fragile psyches.

Shinji and Asuka, both finished with breakfast, were sitting quietly waiting for Misato to get started. They were sitting closer than normal as Misato cleared her throat.

"Ok, we're going to have The Talk, since I found you two sleeping together." Raising her hand to stop the protest building in Shinji and Asuka, Misato barreled on. "I believe you that nothing beyond sleeping occurred, and I've actually been thinking that we needed to have this discussion since the dance. So, do you understand the 'mechanics' of sex and pregnancy?" Not waiting for an answer, Misato proceeded on a fairly detailed physiology lecture leaving all three children blushing furiously. Asuka and Shinji even had a death grip on each other's hands under the table. Rei was practically in shock but was relieved that Misato hadn't resorted to diagrams and models.

She then launched into a fairly relevant and thoughtful discussion of the emotional part of the decision. She almost clinically described pros and cons along with other factors such as peer pressure and the need to fit in and feel loved. Ultimately, the small family agreed that if any of the children were going to take a relationship beyond their agreed upon limits, they would talk to Misato first. Misato, having wrung this concession out of Shinji, Rei, and Asuka, was privately very pleased with herself since she knew of no other parent who had gotten that kind of promise (of course, she had the advantage of professional, long term psychiatric monitoring of her children that most parents don't get) and she was reasonably certain that they would not break their promise to her.

The children adjourned to Shinji's room a little in shock, but Asuka, not able to let Misato have the last word, said as she closed the door, "Oh, Misato? I think I'm going to let Shinji get to third base." She left the door open just long enough to hear Misato choke on her beer at the comment.

As Asuka turned from the now closed door with a smirk on her face, she noticed Shinji sitting shell shocked on his bed and Rei, still blushing, looking very distraught at Shinji's desk. "Well, wasn't that just a pleasant morning conversation," she said in a voice dripping with sarcasm as she sat down next to Shinji.

The children sat quietly trying to regain control of their spinning emotions and, later, quietly plotted revenge.

_Monday – Band Practice_

They had been in the room for the last ten minutes trying to come up with a name for the band. Asuka, Rei, Hikari, and, surprisingly, Toji, had rejected every name they had come up with so far – primarily because they were all things Kensuke had come up with out of his military otaku vocabulary. To top it all off, Shinji had spent most of the day trying to talk like a pirate to the annoyance of Kensuke and Toji and the amusement of the girls.

Shinji, who had been practicing one of the bands new tunes mostly because it helped him think and be creative, suddenly had an idea. "Arrrgh, avast me hearties. We be pretty much doing covers, right?"

He got speculative nods from everyone including Kensuke who had ceased the non-stop stream of military terms. "And, we be wanting something witty, but nothing extreme, right?"

Again, the head nods.

"How about 'The Cover-Ups'?"

Asuka looked at Shinji as if he had just oozed what little brains he had out his ears. "You can not be serious about that? And, you can stop the 'Dread Pirate Shinji' act now."

Meanwhile, Kensuke began to enthusiastically nod his head and was about to endorse the idea when he got the 'be quiet sign' from Rei, Hikari, and Toji.

"I admit that it's a little goofy, but considering what we do for a living, don't you find it funny?"

"Not in the least. It's lame."

"Not as lame as that band you recently re-discovered in Misato's CD pile – 'The 5, 6, 7, 8's'."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Not!"

"Too!"

"Not!"

Seeing that this had rapidly deteriorated into nothing useful, Hikari cleared her throat causing Asuka and Shinji to stop the intellectual equivalent of a rubber band fight. The little group kept at it for another ten minutes before Shinji came up with another suggestion.

"How about 'Makes Purple'?"

Asuka began looking at the floor which caused Rei to ask, "Asuka, what are you doing?"

"I think Shinji just lost all the marbles out of his head and I was going to look for them before my Baka got any dumber," responded Asuka to the amusement of everyone.

Toji, on the other hand, was completely lost. "How did you come up with that?" he demanded of Shinji.

"Red and Blue make purple, don't they?" replied Shinji with little nods towards the laughing Rei and Asuka. "Besides, my Unit-01 was purple."

"_Hikari Horaki to the Principal's office. Hikari Horaki to the Principal's office."_ Blared the loudspeaker.

Hikari jumped up and headed off leaving a confused bunch of friends behind in the room. Lacking any better ideas and wanting to move on to music, the group just settled on "Makes Purple" until something better presented itself.

It was Toji's turn to pick the practice song. As he handed out the music, Shinji's face clouded a little at the song title. Asuka didn't even explain herself. She just slapped him.

As Toji picked himself up off the floor, he looked around and mumbled a confused, "What did I do this time?"

Shinji forestalled the screaming tirade from Asuka with a short, "What's up with this?" while waving the music in front of Toji.

"Shinji, Van Halen rocks. You said so yourself, and 'Runnin' with the Devil' is totally old school Van Halen."

"I know that. Why this particular song?"

"No reason. Hikari said it would be ok." Replied Toji in a last ditch effort to avoid a thorough beating.

"Well, what other options did you bring?"

"Well, there's this Metallica song – 'Whiskey in the Jar' that's pretty good. Mari found it on the net and thought you'd like to play it."

"Let's do that one until Hikari gets back." And then, softly so only Toji can hear, "I asked you already to stop the name calling."

"I know. But, your girlfriend just grates on me. It's been that way since we met on the 'Over The Rainbow', you know."

"Yeah, but please try harder."

"Let's just play."

With that, Shinji nodded to Asuka who counted off the tune since she had the acoustic and Shinji was going to play the electric lead. Mostly unnoticed by the band, a large group of students had gathered both in the room and the hall. They were pretty much broken in two groups – Rei fanboys who were trying to get her attention and fearful Shinji fangirls who were gauging their odds of surviving an encounter with Asuka. In the midst of this audience, the Principal and Hikari stood unobtrusively.

Behind the soft acoustic strumming, Shinji's electric guitar began the haunting, bluesy opening with heavy reverb. Then he transitioned into the slightly more conventional passage as the rest of the band joined in. As the introduction transitioned to the main melody, Shinji had returned to the Dread Pirate Shinji mode much to Rei's amusement and a rolling of Asuka's eyes and stepped up to the microphone.

_As I was goin' over the Cork and Kerry mountains_

_I saw Captain Farrell and his money he was countin'_

_I first produced my pistol and then my rapier_

_I said stand and deliver or the devil he may take ya_

_Musha ring dum a doo dum a da_

_Wait for my daddy-o_

_Wait for my daddy-o_

_There's whiskey in the jar-o_

During the short guitar break, Shinji stayed pretty close to the way it had been transcribed from the recording. But, Rei started to really get into the music and her mop of blue hair started to bob up and down in syncopation to the bass line she was playing much to the joy of her section of adoring fanboys. Asuka looked up from her finger positions to observe this little interaction and nearly missed the next chord change.

_I took all of his money and it was a pretty penny_

_I took all of his money and I brought it home to Molly_

_She swore that she'd love me, never would she leave me_

_But the devil take that woman for you know she tricked me easy_

_Musha ring dum a doo dum a da_

_Wait for my daddy-o_

_Wait for my daddy-o_

_There's whiskey in the jar-o_

Toji and Shinji's voices seemed pretty well suited to the hard rock punch of the lyrics. As they transitioned into the main guitar break, Shinji began to experiment. He started working the room much to the delight of the fangirls who started to giggle at his passing by. Shinji reached a relatively long note in the solo and had timed his walk to be in front of his amp to generate an interesting feedback note which he modulated by changing the orientation of his guitar and his proximity to the amp. He moved on and closed the solo with the transcribed whammy fall off.

_Being drunk and weary I went to Molly's chamber_

_Takin' my Molly with me and I never knew the danger_

_For about six or maybe seven in walked Captain Farrell_

_I jumped up, fired off my pistols and shot him with both barrels_

_Musha ring dum a doo dum a da_

_Wait for my daddy-o_

_Wait for my daddy-o_

_There's whiskey in the jar-o_

_Now some men like the fishin' and some men like the fowlin'_

_And some men like ta hear a cannon ball a roarin'_

_Me I like sleepin' specially in my Molly's chamber_

_But here I am in prison, here I am with a ball and chain yeah_

_Musha ring dum a doo dum a da_

_Wait for my daddy-o_

_Wait for my daddy-o_

_There's whiskey in the jar-o_

The small group finished their practice to the applause, hoots and hollers of the gathered students. The accolades were short lived, though, as the Principal cleared his throat. At his glance, the students reluctantly filed out with the last one closing the door. Meanwhile, Shinji and Kensuke powered down the electronics and Toji came out from behind the riser.

"So, that was most entertaining. I'm a little surprised on your musical choices. Care to tell me why you've chosen mostly pre-Second Impact pieces?" queried the Principal.

All of the teens pretty much turned to face Shinji awaiting his explanation but also realizing that their musical repertoire was not the main reason the Principal was here. Shinji merely sighed and began his response, "Well, sir, most of the more modern music has too many electronic effects that take a long time to replicate and becomes a button push on the keyboard. That's really not much fun for me as a guitar player, so I tend to focus on the rock and roll that's more fun for me to play."

"Well, Ikari-san, that's a more complex and insightful answer than I had expected," replied a thoughtful Principal to a stunned Shinji who, being a fairly humble boy with some unrealistic views of his own fame, didn't expect the Principal to know who he was.

Shaking himself back into the moment, the Principal continued, "Anyways, at Horaki-san's suggestion, we're expanding our conversation to the entire group. We were discussing having your group play a short, lunch time concert in celebration of some of the recent achievements of our students. However, I have some conditions and want to voice my reservations that are driving the conditions."

The group of teens had unconsciously taken seats in the front row of the classroom even as the Principal had moved to the lecture position normally occupied by the teaching staff.

"First, I want no more serious, public displays of affection like at the dance. I am still getting irate phone calls from parents regarding the poor moral character examples we're setting here."

Asuka is again about to angrily retort with her considerable debating skills until she remembers Shinji's discussion about cultural differences as his hand warmly embraces hers under the desk. While it's clear that she's not happy, she swallows her remarks and a relieved Shinji lets out the breath he'd been holding.

Oblivious to the near verbal death, the Principal rambles on as the teens suddenly realize why their teachers are all so boring, "Second, your set list needs to be approved by me, and you will not be allowed to deviate from it."

The small group just looked at each other. This last request was hardly surprising. It seemed like every adult over the age of 45 felt like "the young people" listened to music that destroyed the values of society – even when it was the same music they had listened to as teens.

"Lastly, no more hacking into the school facility controls. It took us a week to regain control of the lighting in the gym."

At this last one everyone looked at a now blushing Kensuke who was desperately trying to find a way to blush and look innocent at the same time. Bowing to the inevitable, he mumbled his agreement.

"Now, if this concert goes well, I may have your band play at the next dance. So, are we agreed?"

With the deal set, the small group cleaned up and began their trek home.

"So, Kensuke, did you get to see Yuki-san today before club?" queried an innocent sounding Rei.

Kensuke turned as red as Asuka's Eva at the mention of the girl he had danced with. Asuka, walking behind Kensuke with Shinji's hand in hers, stifled a giggle and piled on the teasing as her new protégé delivered a wonderful opening salvo. Shinji and Toji merely waited for Kensuke to try and wriggle his way out the trap. They had tried to pry details out of Kensuke during lunch but hadn't been able to acquire much more than that Yuki was a year younger and was from Kobe, originally. But, both boys knew that if Rei was the opening gambit, Hikari and Asuka wouldn't be far behind and Kensuke would ultimately crack.

"uh . . . um . . . Yuki-san?" stammered Kensuke.

"Yes. Yu.Ki.San." replied Asuka.

"Yeah, Kensuke. Yuki Takeda. I spoke to her class representative today. She's a year younger and in room 1-B," announced Hikari who, with that single statement, notified Kensuke that the girls had a better intelligence network than the military could ever dream of developing.

"Oh . . . yeah . . . Yuki-san."

"She seemed pretty nice when we talked to her at PE," mused Asuka.

"You spoke to her?" stammered Kensuke now realizing the extreme disadvantage he was at.

"Yes. She is a trifle shy, but she did have three older girls talking to her. She was very honest that she found you intriguing," announced Rei. Shinji and Toji tried very hard to be inconspicuous and out of the line of questioning as they were more than a little surprised at Rei calling someone 'shy'.

"Well, no, I didn't get a chance to go down to the first floor before club," admitted Kensuke trying to bring some closure to the line of questioning.

"So, why aren't you walking her home? Did your Stooge education neglect being a gentleman?" poked Asuka.

"Well, her mom doesn't like the military," mumbled Kensuke.

"So, you've already met her parents? How forward of you!" exclaimed Hikari.

"N-no you don't understand! I haven't met them yet."

"Yet? You mean you're serious enough after one dance that you're planning on meeting her parents?" exclaimed Rei.

"Yes . . . uh . . . no . . . I don't know," mumbled Kensuke.

Deciding that his friend needed rescuing, Shinji took pity on the young otaku and said, "Kensuke, isn't this your street?"

With a quick nod, Kensuke hurried down the street towards his home, much to the disappointment of the girls.

_Dinner Time - Katsuragi Apartment Building Roof_

Asuka was seated between Shinji's knees as they both gazed out over the city. She was enjoying the warmth of the arms wrapped around her and the fact that they finally had gotten some alone time. It was really nice of Rei to volunteer to cook dinner when she noticed that the couple really had needed to spend some quality time together after their argument about Shinji having let Kensuke off the teasing hook. It wasn't a serious argument, but it showed that the two teens needed to spend some time away from everyone and strengthen the bond between them.

Asuka's hands idly stroked Shinji's forearms and were rewarded with his nose nuzzling her hair and making its way to her ear where his lips nibbled her earlobe. She was enjoying the new feelings of having someone who loved her unconditionally. She was a little amazed at his persistence and commitment – no one had been able to withstand her efforts at pushing them away before. It was such a nice feeling to feel – together.

They were both struggling a bit with the return to normalcy, however. In the non-time on the beach, it was private. They could work through things at their own pace and in their own way. Now, they were a very public couple and were being pushed by their friends, family, and co-workers. Asuka had come to rely on Shinji for emotional support and to trust that he'd be there. Her heart knew he'd be there and that there wouldn't be a wavering in his commitment, but she also knew that they didn't get to control everything as the recent changes in their lives and schedules reminded them.

Shinji for his part sat trying to remain tranquil and control the anxiety that had always been his downfall. He clung to Asuka the way a drowning man clings to a life preserver – a simple, relatively stable point of reference in a chaotic sea. He was also trying to learn how to enjoy life and the quiet, pleasant moments like this. He felt her hands leave his arms to run her fingers through his hair as he nibbled her ear.

"Shinji?"

"Hmm?"

"Twice now, you've made some cryptic remarks to Toji. What are they about?"

Shinji sighed. He knew he'd been living on borrowed time on this subject and that payment was now do.

"I asked both he and Kensuke to stop calling you names," replied Shinji.

Asuka was a bit stunned – on many levels. Shinji hadn't tried dancing around and avoiding the question which she now knew was a really hard response for him and that he'd stepped in to protect her. However, in her confusion, her old ego took control of her mouth before she could reign it back in.

"What? Do you think I can't fight my own battles? I'm not some damsel in distress, Third Child," came out with enough venom to make even Asuka wince inside.

Oddly, Shinji remained nonplussed. He had expected this reaction. He was a keen observer of Asuka's behavior – partially out of self-preservation – and this was not out of character. "No. I know you can fight your own battles. This is about my friends and them respecting me. If they were my friends, they'd respect my choices and be happy for me, not try and sabotage it by making me choose between my love and my friends. I'm trying to make them see that they'll lose that choice before they force me to make it for real."

Completely caught off-guard by this turn of events and the implied, mild rebuke of being very ego centric, Asuka sat quietly for a moment while continuing to play with Shinji's hair thinking about the deeper meanings of what he had just said. Instead of responding, she turned and wrapped her arms around Shinji's neck and pulled him into a fierce kiss which he enthusiastically responded to after a moment's surprise.

Breathless, Asuka pulled back slightly, "Shinji-kun, where did you learn to say such romantic things?"

Shinji gave her a wry little smile, "I've been practically drowning in estrogen since I got to Tokyo-3. I'd have to be deaf, dumb, and blind to not pick up _something_ after all."

"Drowning in estrogen? You're a meanie, Baka-kun. You need to be punished for being so mean," joked Asuka as she began to tickle Shinji mercilessly.

Shinji began to squirm trying to get away when Asuka pounced on him continuing her onslaught. This continued for almost a full minute before Shinji changed tactics away from trying to get away to pulling Asuka too close to tickle and kissing her soundly.

Just as they were both warming to the next round of kissing, they heard Rei's voice from the stairwell, "Shinji. Asuka. Dinner's ready."

**Author's Parting Shots**: Yes, I did short change you on The Talk. I wrote a couple of versions and they all were just tedious conversations that weren't very entertaining, so you can just fill in the details on your own :P


	11. Enter the Preacher's Son

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 10: Enter the Preacher's Son**

_A Tuesday Afternoon – Misato's Office_

Asuka and Misato sat across from Misato's terminal ready to continue with the day's lessons in tactics and operations. This had been the normal routine for weeks now, and while Asuka would only admit it under duress, she was actually having fun learning from Misato.

"So, to continue today, we're going to go over the status reports I receive from the specialist instructors for Rei and Shinji," came the mostly neutral statement from Misato. Asuka perked up at this. She hadn't been able to get a clear picture of what they were going through and how well they were doing since neither Rei nor Shinji were all that curious themselves. Plus, it would be interesting to see what professionals thought of them – especially her baka.

"Let's start with Rei," and with this Misato cued her terminal.

"Captain Ayanami's progress through the precision shooting curriculum is on pace. She has completed the timed sprint course with distance shooting in the top 5 percentile."

At this point, the instructor's voice dropped out and video of Rei sprinting from a prone position to the next prone position and taking a controlled shot at a 500 meter target was played along with insets of the target results.

"It is noted that Captain Ayanami has autonomic control exceeding average values for students in this course. This is a primary factor in her success at precision shooting. However, during stalking training, it was observed that she has trouble changing her point of view to accurately reflect a potential observer. While she is still able to obtain adequate capability in concealment, there are lapses and the instructional staff consensus is that she has the potential to become uniquely skilled based on her control and patience. It is recommended that she receive additional instruction in this area at the end of the course."

Some other minor items continued, but Misato cut it off and initiated the status report on Shinji. Video of Shinji sparring with his instructor and performing particular movements played across the screen as the instructor's voice over summarized his observations.

"Captain Ikari's progress has exceeded instructor expectations. It appears that his past combat experiences have not become the serious stumbling block initially believed. His physical conditioning is acceptable and overall reaction speed and strength place him above average of past students. His mind is quick and his ability to adapt to situations is remarkable. However, his emotional control is below average. In response to this deficiency, we have accelerated the mental discipline aspects of the curriculum."

At this, the video images shifted to show Shinji going through meditative exercises and physical endurance training while under mental stress such as being asked to solve complex problems. Then, the video returned to Shinji sparring with the instruction staff.

"It should be noted that in this next video sequence, Captain Ikari's potential is revealed as he manages to push an attack through the instructor's defense."

The video scene shifted and the playback speed slowed to show Shinji sparring with one of the agents from Section 2. To Asuka's eyes, she saw Shinji mostly holding his own, but as she watched more closely, she saw a subtle change. Shinji's tactics began to evolve drawing the agent further and further out of good defensive position until he finally slipped his attack through and instead of delivering the killing blow to the agent's throat he merely tapped it with his finger tips. The two stepped back and bowed to each other – a surprised look on the agent's face that he was unable to mask.

"Captain Ikari has developed an almost instinctual response to hand to hand combat situations. Based on video review of his prior EVA battles, his unarmed combat skills had been latent and merely needed to be accessed on a more regular basis." The status report continued to drone on, but Asuka had tuned it out and was contemplating the change in her Shinji. He was starting to grow strong in his own way and that held an appeal to her, but also triggered some of the latent insecurities about their relationship and was he growing out of it?

"Asuka?"

Misato's voice brought Asuka out of her daydreaming, "I'm back. Sorry."

"Ok. Knowing the current strengths and weaknesses of Rei and Shinji, if the three of you were in the following situation . . ." and Asuka's education continued through the afternoon.

_Later That Afternoon – NERV Break Room_

Asuka was sipping a soda while waiting for Rei and Shinji to make their appearance. It was a nice chance to do some thinking about Shinji. She kept coming back to a central question in their relationship like picking at a scab – why, after all of her behavior had he been subjected to, did he still love her? They had talked about it in the past, but she still had trouble reconciling it with her original opinion of him as weak and spineless. As she wrestled with her thoughts, the subject of those thoughts made his appearance in the break room.

"Hi Asuka-chan. Were you waiting long?" asked Shinji as he came up to give her a hug and kiss.

"No, not really. I was just thinking," was the distracted response from Asuka as she tried to focus back in on the "here and now".

Shinji was immediately on alert. While Asuka had changed, mostly for the better in his opinion, there were some aspects of her that probably would never change. He patiently waited for the other shoe to drop as he sipped his soda. As he watched her face, he saw the subtle changes that signaled she had resolved to ask him something, especially given that they were alone with as much privacy as anyone ever got within headquarters.

Asuka, for her part, had decided to just ask him again and dig until she got an answer she could live with. Deep within her, she knew that she wouldn't be able to move on with their relationship and her own healing until she knew.

"Shinji, I want to ask . . . why?"

Shinji put his soda down and drew Asuka to the same battered couch they had sat on before. As he took her hands in his, he knew instinctively what she was asking and that the answers she had heard had not helped her reconcile the view she had of him before with the view of him now.

"You remember when you first arrived? You were like a typhoon roaring through our lives – powerful, determined, and unrestrained." Asuka bit back the angry retort that had started to form knowing that Shinji was right, and Shinji could feel the tension ebb and flow in her hands. He raised his hand to caress her face and watched her eyes close as she luxuriated in the sensation. "While I may have been weak and fearful, it did allow me to be the willow in the face of all of that power. I suspect that if I had a stiff spine, I would have broken as many of the strong trees fall in the face of a typhoon. It's almost like the martial arts teachings that I'm getting now – you must let the whirlwind pass through and around you. Bend to the forces, but don't break. But, there needs to be the will to recover."

Shinji drew her closer. "It's like I told you before. I found my will to recover in the possibility of us, in the example you set, and in the hope you gave. But, it did take something big like Third Impact to 'wire my stuff together' as some of the agents say," explained Shinji with a bit of a rueful grin since 'stuff' wasn't the word the agents had used.

"Baka-kun, that's gotta be the corniest thing you've ever said to me," giggled Asuka. Shinji stiffened in surprise until he realized that she was teasing him again. They sat quietly for a few minutes before Shinji felt that it was time to find out what was going on.

"Asuka?"

"Hmm?"

"Why the sudden curiosity in my deeper psychological motivations?" In truth, Shinji knew he wasn't very good at humor and his feeble attempts were more humorous because they were feeble, but it was his only card to really play.

"Oh, no reason."

"Asuka."

She gave a little sign and began to fidget and play with his fingers. She had been caught and was struggling to give her fears a voice. All her life, she had merely locked them away because that's what she thought the strong did, and now, when she desperately wanted to be strong for this boy and the life they were sharing, he was asking her to not be. Shinji had seen this activity play out many times. He had tried many ways to deal with this but had found that the only one that had ever worked was to be patient and allow Asuka come to terms with what she wanted to say. But, he had recently learned a way to speed that along. He rubbed her back a few times and ended with his hand under her hair and massaging her neck. As he felt the tension subside, he knew she was about ready.

"Misato showed me a status report from your martial arts teacher as part of a tactical problem. I was proud of you on how far you've come and the inner strength you're growing. Heh, you looked like Bruce Lee . . . " Asuka's voice trailed off a little as her resolve waivered.

"But?" Shinji gently prodded – if she just kept going, it would come out.

"I started to worry that if you got strong enough, you wouldn't need me. That if you kept growing, we'd grow apart. I'm afraid that I'll lose you," choked out Asuka between clenched teeth and sniffling. She hated this part. She still hadn't gotten used to admitting problems, and while it didn't feel like it used to, admitting she had problems and insecurities still bothered her.

Shinji was stunned. Luckily, his hand continued to massage Asuka's neck and his other closed around her fidgeting fingers. "Asuka, we were meant to be together. I'll never leave you." Gently turning her head so she could see his face, he continued, "You know I've never been able to lie to you. I promise. I'll always be yours."

Shinji gathered her close as he had a sudden realization. "Asuka-chan, if you're worried about us growing apart, why don't we grow together? You don't have to be Asuka Langley Soryu – Second Child, Greatest Evangelion Pilot, Savior of Humanity. Be Asuka Langley Soryu – fourteen years old, prettiest, smartest, most popular girl in school, and my love."

Asuka was quiet. He made sense – _damn baka_ – and her well-honed cynicism didn't sound the _Liar!_ alarm. But, she knew this wasn't some soap opera on television. She wasn't going to have to think about this a lot more, but she was willing to accept it. Besides, she could always make Shinji do what she wanted because she knew the ultimate truth – girls always have their guys wrapped around their little fingers, right?

"Shinji, when did you get so philosophical and wise?"

"Master gave me a fortune cookie after practice," retorted Shinji.

In the hallway, Rei and Misato looked at each other as they listened to the laughter. They had been in the hallway for most of the conversation and had heard enough to know that another land mine had been avoided. With some hand signs, Misato told Rei that they were going for a short walk and would come back to get her brother and his girlfriend later.

_Later that Evening – Study Session at the Katsuragi Abode_

Toji, Rei, Shinji, Hikari, Kensuke, and Asuka had given up on their history report and had settled for some impromptu vocal practice. The report was on the teacher's favorite topic – Second Impact. Shinji detested history for that simple reason and was putting forth no effort. Rei and Asuka, just like Shinji, knew the truth about Second Impact and were mentally exhausted in trying to censor out what they were allowed to say from what they knew and what was being taught. Toji and Kensuke were more focused on snacks and jokes, leaving Hikari as the only one actually trying to write the report. Hikari had finally thrown in the towel when soda had come out Kensuke's nose when Toji and Shinji had made him laugh while he was trying to take a drink.

They had listened to a song that Asuka had passed around and having downloaded a karaoke track for it, the girls stood and decided to serenade the boys with Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man" and Asuka's clear voice began to echo through the apartment.

_Billy-Ray was a preacher's son_

_And when his daddy would visit he'd come along_

_When they gathered round and started talkin'_

_That's when Billy would take me walkin'_

_A-through the backyard we'd go walkin'_

_Then he'd look into my eyes_

_Lord knows to my surprise_

_The only one who could ever reach me_

_Was the son of a preacher man_

_The only boy who could ever teach me_

_Was the son of a preacher man_

_Yes he was, he was, oooh, yes he was_

It was a bit of a novelty to have the girls singing while Toji, Kensuke and Shinji merely listened. In fact, each of the boys was thinking the same thing – how do we get them to do this more often?

Shinji looked up to see Asuka's eyes on him. He'd always been a little slow when it came to the emotions surrounding his relationship with Asuka, and today was no exception. He'd missed it all through rehearsal. This was her message to him. As the realization dawned on him, a broad smile crossed his face.

_Being good isn't always easy_

_No matter how hard I try_

_'Cause when he started sweet-talkin' to me_

_He'd come and tell me everything is all right_

_He'd kiss and tell me everything is all right_

_Can I get away again tonight?_

_The only one who could ever reach me_

_Was the son of a preacher man_

_The only boy who could ever teach me_

_Was the son of a preacher man_

_Yes he was, he was, Lord knows he was_

Asuka saw the smile spread on Shinji's face as her Baka finally got it. The love in his eyes raced through her like a warm wave, and she started to dance for him. It was sultry and full of passion, yet to Toji and Kensuke, that was all lost on them. It was just dancing. In fact, as Rei and Hikari added the backup vocals, Toji had achieved a sort of tunnel vision that only showed Hikari and the devoted puppy look on his face confirmed his complete enthrallment in the siren song.

_How well I remember_

_The look that was in his eyes_

_Stealin' kisses from me on the sly_

_Takin' time to make time_

_Tellin' me that he's all mine_

_Learnin' from each other's knowing_

_Lookin' to see how much we're growing_

Asuka had danced herself to Shinji and knelt down in front of him to caress his face. Shinji was in heaven. Asuka was singing to him as he had done for her so many times and to feel the emotions and the sense of belonging was almost overwhelming.

_And the only one who could ever reach me_

_Was the son of a preacher man_

_The only boy who could ever teach me_

_Was the son of a preacher man_

_Yes he was, he was, oh, yes he was_

_He was the sweet-talking son of a preacher man_

_I kissed the son of a preacher man_

_The sweet-lovin' son of a preacher man_

_Ahh, ooh, ahh..._

As the music faded, the boys applauded, whooped, and hollered to Hikari's embarrassment and Asuka's delight. As they sat down, Rei saw the dreamy look on Kensuke's face and, having learned at the hand of two of the greatest living teasing masters, attacked without mercy.

"Thinking of Takeda-san, Kensuke?"

Kensuke turned several shades of scarlet as his friends laughed. Study break over, they all refocused back onto the report due tomorrow.

_After Class and Before Club the Next Day, School Halls_

Shinji stood patiently in the hallway waiting for Asuka and Rei, so they could head to NERV and find out what latest torture Maya had thought up for them. They'd been held up with what he supposed was a girl thing. As he was waiting, he absently fended off the advances of some of the younger girls. Ever since the dance, the combination of guitar player and Eva pilot had rocketed him to idol status much to the amusement of Rei. In fact, Rei had observed that it was like some sort of sick joke on the student population that the most popular boy and girl in school were now going out after having shown next to no interest in dating. She had even relayed the fact that some of the girls were particularly frustrated that Shinji wouldn't even consider going out with them as they felt they could be nicer to him than Asuka could.

Shinji noticed a group of boys walking purposefully towards him including the boy whose hand he had stepped on at the dance. He already knew that there was no way to avoid them – the halls were too crowded to run and some of them were probably faster anyways.

"Hey, twerp."

Shinji turned to the boy who spoke. He was, not surprisingly, the biggest of the group. Shinji did notice the smirk on the face of the boy with the bandage on his hand. Shinji merely looked up at the larger boy with a question on his face. On the periphery, he noted that most of the kids around him had backed away leaving a small clearing. They had recognized this group as a group of popular boys who had a reputation for being bullies.

"I bet you think you're all that, but let me tell you that you're nothing. You should leave Soryu to real men."

Shinji's discipline held and he didn't just laugh at that statement outright. "You're wasting your time, but if you want to try, I'm not worried about you," was the surprising statement from Shinji. Asuka and Rei, who had just rounded the corner, were astounded that such a bold statement could come from Shinji.

"What? What did you say?" snarled the boy.

"Deaf as well as dumb? I have even less to worry about that I thought," mused Shinji to the astonishment of all within ear shot.

Without warning, the boy punched Shinji landing the blow square on the side of Shinji's face. Shinji staggered back a step, but his knees didn't buckle much to the chagrin of the bullies. Shinji tasted blood in his mouth and a part of his mind was acutely aware that his martial arts teacher would be disappointed that the blow had landed.

_Flashback – NERV Dojo_

Shinji stood in the 'horse stance' while Seifu continued with the lesson.

"Captain Ikari, what is the difference between matches here in the dojo and combat?"

Shinji, whose legs were on fire, valiantly attempted an answer to end the suffering. "Combat is more real because death can be an outcome."

"Captain Ikari, death can be an outcome here in the dojo. Given your lack of focus today, I will explain. In combat or other encounters, there are no rules. There is no nice bow to start. There are no 'Gentleman's Agreements' on what can and can not be done. Like with animals, it is only about survival. Therefore, you will do what must be done to survive."

"But, Seifu, what about honor?"

"How can there be honor in fighting dogs? Honor is to be had in holding to your standards and expectations, not in the combat itself."

_End Flashback_

Shinji turned to face the bully who was more than a little surprised that Shinji didn't just drop to the ground and cry. Shinji was deaf to the shouting and heckling from all of the other kids in the hallway including Asuka and Rei. In fact, Shinji was only concentrating on the bully and his friends.

Shinji tried to block the next punch but ended up feeling his ribs give under the blow. Shinji had his opening, though, and grabbed the boy's ear and twisted savagely. The boy screamed in pain as the thin skin holding the ear to his head began to tear and blood began to run down his neck. As the boy twisted, trying to relieve the pressure on his abused ear, Shinji drove his fist into the boy's solar plexus silencing the screams. Releasing the ear as the bully doubled over in pain, gasping to fill his lungs, the hard area of Shinji's forearm close to the elbow flashed up to strike the bridge of the boy's nose, breaking it with a sickening crunch and another stream of blood. Shinji, mercifully, allowed the boy to drop, unconscious, to the floor of the hallway.

The rest of the pack was stunned that the pack leader had been taken down. The two obvious lieutenants snarled and attacked, but Shinji had already moved into the first of them. Shinji was mostly calm inside and his perception was that everyone in the hallway was moving in slow motion. He absently noticed Rei running to get a teacher and Asuka trying to push through the sea of kids to join in the fight. He also noted, almost mechanically, that by the time Rei returned with the teacher, this fight would be over.

Shinji's foot came crashing down on the foot of the first boy who screamed as he felt the arch in his foot collapse. Shinji shifted his feet to regain solid footing and dodged a kick the second boy launched. Shinji immediately recognized an opponent with at least some training. He dodged the second kick, and noting that his opponent was angry and was slow to recover from trying to deliver an out of control kick, Shinji shuffled his feet into a side kick delivered to the torso of the unlucky boy, sending him stumbling backward into the row of lockers with a crash. Dazed, the boy tried to punch one of the three Shinji's swimming through his field of vision only to be rewarded with a roundhouse kick sending him blissfully unconscious to the floor. Shinji turned to the rest of the pack with an unnaturally calm, almost serene look, on his face only to have them back away with fear evident in every one of them.

"SHINJI!" Asuka's voice finally penetrated and he turned to see his girlfriend having finally made it through the crush of now gossiping students. "Are you alright?"

Shinji merely nodded his head before noticing that it hurt to breathe as he felt the flaring pain in his ribs. Shinji allowed himself to be guided into a classroom by Asuka as he heard the voices of teachers rushing to the scene.

_20 minutes later_

"So, young man, you need to see the medical staff at NERV," pronounced the paramedic. "You're stable right now, but you should go straight there. And keep the icepack on your face."

Asuka and Rei helped Shinji get up so they could get to the car that Misato had sent. Rei, having dropped into her ultra-efficient "Wondergirl"-mode had alerted Misato to the events at the school. Shinji passed by the three boys being packaged onto gurneys for their ambulance ride to the hospital with a look of regret. He hadn't meant to hurt them so badly. Asuka noticed the look in his eyes.

"Shinji," she said, gaining his attention. "I saw and heard the whole thing. They deserved what they got. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Yeah," sighed Shinji. He didn't want to argue, right now. He just wanted to see the doctor and get patched up.

The children boarded the car and were whisked away towards NERV and the awaiting medical staff.

_NERV Medical Section – Waiting Area_

Three tired and anxious women sat waiting for news from the medical staff. Rei merely sat outwardly calm but with inner turmoil. Misato waited but split her attention between the door to the medical area and the pacing, ranting red head.

Said girl was pacing in the small area, ranting and muttering about bakas, inefficiencies, death and destruction to all idiot boys, and other favorite topics. She hadn't been happy when the medical staff had returned her to the waiting area after repeatedly trying to follow Shinji from room to room. In fact, there were a couple of nurses who suffered a little trauma of their own.

Misato had already heard from Rei, Asuka, and Section 2 about the incident. She had also been contacted by the school's principal. She and Shinji were to be in his office first thing in the morning. She also knew from Section 2 that the agents who were Shinji's sparring partners were pleased that he had been able to defend himself but a little disappointed about the injuries he had received. Misato smiled inwardly, if she knew the testosterone fueled agents, there would be some serious teasing and associated hazing in the dojo when Shinji was deemed fit enough to resume martial arts practice.

All of this activity stopped as they heard the door to the waiting area unlock and watched one of the doctors enter. A fairly experienced physician, he stood patiently as the tidal wave of questions from the three women washed over him. After a few moments, the questions subsided and he could respond.

"Shinji is fine. No concussion. He has a bruised cheek and needed some stitches where his cheek was cut on his teeth from the blow. He has a sheet of instructions on the stitches and what his diet should be until the cut is healed – probably in about a week. He has two cracked ribs, but no additional complications were detected. All in all, he's in pretty good shape. We gave him some painkillers, and he has the prescription anti-inflammatory medication to use as necessary. Now, the cracked ribs mean Shinji will have limited physical exertion for 6-8 weeks. We'll need to see him every week, but his past history is that he heals pretty quickly. From a duty status perspective, martial arts' training is suspended until we clear him. Research activities are limited to the restrictions we've provided Lieutenant Ibuki. Any questions?"

The relieved trio luckily didn't have any additional questions to ask as everything halted as Shinji came through the doors. He was greeted with hugs and, from Asuka, kisses as well until they noticed the wincing from the over-exuberant hugging. The doctor made a graceful exit as the small family made their way home.

**Author's Parting Shots**: Sorry about the half-baked philosophy J. I know this is supposed to be a WAFF/Romance fic, but I couldn't resist. I saw 'Fearless' and had to put a fight scene in – welcome to my world muwahahahahaha.


	12. Would I Lie to Someone Extraordinary?

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 11: Would I Lie to Someone Extraordinary? **

* * *

_Morning Before School – Principal's Office_

* * *

Misato and Shinji sat in the chairs in front of the Principal's desk – Misato calm and patient, Shinji a little distant probably because of the painkillers. 

"Yesterday's incident was very disturbing," began the Principal. "It's bad when I have to summon paramedics to the school because of student involved beatings. The fights were bad enough and now we have students who are seriously injured at the hands of other students. Shinji's behavior needs to have consequences. We can't have students thinking that they can maim other students without any consequences."

"On the contrary, he merely defended himself. The other boys were the aggressors. Have you even asked Shinji why the results were, in your words, so extreme?" countered Misato.

"Well, Shinji?" prompted the Principal, "Do you want to explain your actions yesterday?"

"When the boys confronted me, I had already figured that I couldn't run. They're faster than I am and the hallway was too crowded. Anyways, given who they are, they would have just found another opportunity. This all meant that I had to fight and win. As for what I did to them, I defended myself and ensured that I won where winning meant that they wouldn't attack me again."

"Would you explain that last comment?"

"Well, they're bullies. Bullies only respond to people who are stronger than they are. They would have kept at me until they got what they wanted like a pack of dogs, but just like a pack of dogs, they respond to the 'alpha' male. By convincingly defeating the leadership, I am, essentially, the alpha male whether I'm physically present or not. This means that they won't confront me again. It also sent a message to the other bullies on campus that I'm not a victim and should be left alone."

"Where did you get such a notion?" remarked a very surprised Principal.

"My martial arts teacher was the one who told me."

A stunned Principal sat back in his chair while Misato tried very hard not to look at him with smug success written all over her face. Silence reigned as the Principal contemplated his options. For their part, Shinji and Misato played the waiting game. Misato also knew that she a trump card if the Principal was excessive.

"Still, fighting is not permitted on school grounds. Some action needs to be taken. Our rule of thumb is a one week suspension for fights that result in injury. But, I'm inclined to cancel the concert, as well."

Before Misato could unleash a family size can of "whup ass" on the unsuspecting Principal, Shinji cleared his throat. "Umm, sir, I think you'd be punishing the wrong people. The concert was for the academic decathlon teams' success and cancelling the concert punishes them, not me."

A thoughtful look crossed the Principal's face. He was at the core a decent man and Shinji's words did make sense. He was also surprised at the quick mind of the boy in front of him who so rapidly focused on the well being of his classmates. Truth be told, a part of him thought the bullies had gotten what they deserved.

"Well said, young man. In light of your comments, one week suspension." All the Principal had needed was a gavel banging on the desk and the image of a judge passing sentence would have been complete. "We'll send your assignments home with your sister. I won't demean the both of us with meaningless prattle about this not happening again, but I will say that I do not want to have to summon paramedics to this campus again. Is that understood, Mr. Ikari?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then, I will see you back in class in a week. Good day."

Shinji and Misato stood to leave. As they were headed out of the school, they ran into the rest of the gang in the courtyard awaiting the warning bell for the start of class.

"So, 20 years hard labor?" was the quickest response, oddly enough, from Kensuke.

"One week suspension, but we get to do the concert," replied Shinji.

"What? After what those hooligans tried? They should be glad that I didn't have to get involved," spat Asuka.

"Actually, it's the fairly standard time," soothed Misato. "So, Shinji. You're to stay in the apartment during the school hours. You'll still come to NERV on the regular schedule, though. I would expect that with all of the homework for you that Rei will be bringing home, that you'll be able to keep busy. I'll drop you off at home on my way back to NERV."

As everyone was getting ready to say good bye, the warning bell rang. Shinji caught Asuka's hand and pulled her into a quick hug, whispering, "I'll see you at home."

Asuka blushed at this unprovoked display of affection. "Right, Shinji-kun. But, I'll get you for abandoning Rei and I to this place, Baka," she replied with a little kiss to his cheek and then ran to catch up to the others. Shinji took a deep, slightly painful breath as he readied himself for another trip subjected to Misato's driving.

* * *

_Katsuragi Apartment – Lunch Time_

* * *

Shinji had finished all of the assignments he knew of, cleaned the apartment, had lunch, and was now completely bored out of his mind. To top it all off, his ribs were starting to ache again. Turning off the television, he went out onto the apartment's small balcony to look at the rain that had started. Sitting down on one of the chairs, he remembered some of the meditation teachings his master had given him and tried to focus on those to clear his head of the boredom. 

Shinji had been in this state for a while when his cell beeped signaling the arrival of a message. Picking it up to find two messages, he saw one from Asuka that essentially said she missed and loved him. The second was actually a picture of Rei, Asuka, Hikari, and their group of girlfriends all mugging for the cell phone camera with cute chibi faces and victory signs. The messages had the desired effect of making Shinji laugh and look forward to Asuka's arrival after school.

* * *

_School – Earlier That Day_

* * *

Asuka could barely contain the boredom and frustration of being in this prison of a classroom without the pleasant distraction her Baka normally provided. She had taken up Rei's old past time of just staring morosely out the window waiting for time to continue its glacial crawl towards lunch. The rain that had just started merely provided an adequate backdrop to the gloomy feelings. In truth, the frustration was more like feeling depressed. 

Asuka had gotten used to Shinji being a constant presence in her life and not only liked it, depended on it. Without it, she was feeling adrift and more than a little unhappy. She found herself daydreaming about him and planning things to do with, or more to the point, to him at the next opportunity. As the daydreaming continued, she even caught herself playing "her" song in her head – complete with his guitar and his voice. Oddly, she thought she heard Toji say something to her, but it was mostly drowned out by the inner concert as she continued contemplating the rain washing past the windows.

Hikari and Rei had been watching Asuka fairly closely during the morning. They had both noticed that Asuka's behavior had mellowed after having finally admitted to her relationship with Shinji. In fact, Shinji now acted as a lightning rod and damper to Asuka's more extreme behavior. Both girls were worried that Asuka would take out her angst on some unsuspecting student without Shinji's presence. Their fears soon proved to be unfounded as Asuka spent most of the morning moping and daydreaming, even ignoring Toji's half-hearted attempts to tease and provoke her.

As the lunch bell rang, the group of girls gathered around Asuka – Rei, Hikari, and a bunch of the other popular girls. Asuka broke out of her reverie long enough to pull her lunch box out of her desk. As she opened it, a small note caught her eye. It was from Shinji, of course, since he always made lunches for her and Rei. She opened it to see:

_Asuka-chan,_

_Packed your favorite lunch. I figure that I'll get suspended, so I'm sorry I can't be there with you. But, I'm thinking about you._

_Love,_

_Your Baka-Shinji_

Like a stereotype school-girl from the movies, Asuka just clutched the little note and sighed. The other girls were watching her with undisguised curiosity as Asuka pulled out her cell phone and sent a little love note text message to Shinji. Looking up to see the faces of her friends staring intently at her with questions written all over their faces, she showed them the note which of course generated lots of "ahhhhhs" and "you're so lucky" from all of the girls present.

One of the girls suddenly turned to Asuka, "Asuka, what was the fight about?"

Rei, seeing that Asuka had a mouthful of food, jumped in. "It was about the strength of love."

That bold statement caused all activity at the cluster of desks to come to a screeching halt as the girls struggled with Rei's statement. Asuka on the other hand had gotten used to Rei's non-sequitur statements as humor and was doing everything she could not to spray the food in her mouth on her friends as she fought to contain the laughter.

Taking a page out of Asuka's book for explaining to the mentally challenged, Rei began in an amazing imitation of Asuka's mannerisms and tone, "Well, the boys were all jealous of Shinji and the love he shares with Asuka. You all know how boys can be." Seeing the nodding heads around her, Rei continued, "So, Shinji first tried to fight with his brains and confuse the other boys. But, Shinij, being a boy, didn't realize that confused boys just resort to violence quicker because their limited brains go all instinctive."

All of the girls erupted into laughter at this, in their opinion, deadly accurate depiction of the male population in the school. As the laughter subsided, Rei closed the deal, "So, Shinji ended up having to defend his love of Asuka and to protect her from unwanted advances by unleashing the same ferocity he used when piloting EVA."

At this, the girls got dreamy looks in their eyes and another round of "you're so lucky" and "aaahhhhs" filled the area around the little group. Asuka, however, merely looked at Rei, and they shared a knowing look with giggles of their own.

"Hey Asuka, let's cheer Shinji up and send him a picture of us!"

The girls drafted one of the younger girls to take the picture with Asuka's cell as they all gathered and made chibi faces for Shinji.

* * *

_Katsuragi Apartment – Afternoon_

* * *

Shinji's ribs just ached. He'd used the meditation techniques that Master had given him for some relief, but he'd soon found that he wanted to do something. He didn't really want to take any pain killers because they made him feel groggy, and he was a little apprehensive about taking them if no one else was around. He made a mental note to ask the NERV doctors about it later. Besides, Rei and Asuka would be home in a couple of hours from school, and he could hold out until then. 

Hauling his cello from his room to the balcony, Shinji decided that a little cello practice would be in order. Taking a slow breath of the fresh air to cleanse his mind and not trigger any more pain from his ribs than necessary, Shinji began to warm up with some long notes that then transitioned to scales, in turn, moving to major chord arpeggios. Having reconnected with his cello, Shinji started with his familiar Bach piece.

* * *

_Street Level_

* * *

Machida stood under the overhang of an apartment complex entrance cursing his luck. He had forgotten his umbrella and had been waiting for the rain to let up for a little while now, and he was going to be late to rehearsal for the first time in a very long time. Rummaging through his bag for his cell, he very nearly lost all of the music scores that he was reviewing for the upcoming season. He quietly began to regret taking the conductor role in a rebuilding city like Tokyo-3. Talent was pretty sparse but at least their facilities were in good shape. But, he was spending a great deal of time trying to build up an entire repertoire for the upcoming season without any past history for the group to base the new season on. This meant lots of time reviewing pieces and designing themes for the concerts. 

As he was about to call the taxi company for the third time, he thought he heard a stringed instrument over the thrum of the rain on the various things on street. Listening closely, he distinctly heard a cello moving from scales to arpeggios. He actually smiled as he recognized Bach and began to listen in a much more critical manner as it became evident that the musician had some skill. He was more than a little impressed. The musician seemed to be able to convey the right emotions and intensity for the complex piece. Completely forgetting about the rain, his pending taxi, and rehearsal, Machida walked out into the quiet street to see if he could tell where the music was coming from. He soon realized that it was coming from the apartment building that had so conveniently been sheltering him from the weather. Machida then did something he never would have normally considered, he started bounding up the stairs of the apartment building listening intently at each landing.

Machida eventually found himself in front of an apartment that said on the front "Katsuragi" with the sounds of the cello coming from behind the door in front of him.

* * *

_Katsuragi Apartment – Later That Afternoon_

* * *

"We're home," declared Asuka and Rei as they burst through the door having been freed from the clutches of the educational system. Their eyes immediately locked onto the snacks and drinks thoughtfully placed on the table for their arrival. 

"Welcome home," came Shinji's voice from his room heard over the soft strains of his cello. As Asuka and Rei sat down at the table, they heard Shinji putting his cello away and the soft steps of heralding his arrival in the kitchen. He gave Asuka a hug and kiss and a brief hug to his sister as he claimed a drink for himself to wash down the painkiller.

Asuka's eyes followed the little pill with some dread. "Shinji, how many of those are you supposed to take?"

"Well, the doctor said one every 8-12 hours, but I didn't take any this morning. They make me feel kinda weird, so I don't feel comfortable taking them if no one is around. Since you guys are home now, I feel like I can take one."

This of course prompted a long, very pointed interrogation from the girls on the details of his decisions regarding pain medication and exactly what he had been doing to deal with the pain. In the end, they extracted a promise from him to talk to the doctors at NERV tomorrow. They adjourned to the living room as Shinji started to get a drowsy look from the medication.

They took up their accustomed television positions – Rei sprawled on the pillows in front of the TV and Asuka and Shinji on the couch. The minor modification this time was Shinji stretched out with his head in Asuka's lap dozing peacefully as she absently played with his hair while watching the show.

"Asuka."

"Hmm?" Asuka responded looking down into Shinji's eyes while continuing to run her fingers through his hair.

"I had a visitor today."

"Oh? What sort of visitor? Wasn't some sort of hentai thing was it?"

"n-n-no!" blushed Shinji.

Asuka merely smiled at her confirmation of just how easy it was to tease Shinji. "So, who was this visitor?"

"His card is on the table, but he's the conductor for the reconstituted Tokyo-3 Philharmonic. He said that he heard me playing and wants me to addition."

This small announcement created squeals of joy from both Rei and Asuka resulting in rib crushing hugs that Shinji felt even through the fog of the pain killers. Noticing his grimace, they both released him.

"That's fantastic!" declared Asuka. "When's the audition? Have you decided what piece you'll use? We have to call Misato right now and tell her!" rambled Asuka as she motioned for Rei to grab her cell and call their guardian.

Not quite as groggy as before, Shinji lay back into Asuka's lap and said, "I have to call to arrange the audition, and I haven't decided what to play. We didn't even decide on if I was to be a permanent member or just a guest. I told him that I had to talk it over with Misato, first, especially since I was on suspension."

"Baka-Shinji, have you learned how to play hard to get?" teased Asuka as she gave his blushing face another little kiss.

* * *

_Tokyo-3 Junior High School, Classroom 2A – A Week Later_

* * *

Shinji sat at his desk for the first time in a week thinking that nothing had changed. The class seemed even more boring than before and it seemed like it now took eons to reach lunch. The only bright spot was that at least he was back to his friends and the pain in his ribs had mostly subsided. Although, he couldn't take the deep breaths necessary to sing without some discomfort. In fact, with the celebration concert having been moved up, the group had to scramble to get songs for everyone else to sing. In fact, he noticed that Toji and Kensuke were more uptight than usual, especially after having mentioned that he had an audition with the orchestra. He'd have to ask Asuka what had been happening since he had been out. 

With that thought, he glanced over at his girlfriend who gave him a stern look indicating he should be paying attention. Shinji sighed and gave a little nod. Asuka had been tutoring him to bring him back up to speed with the rest of the class and now took his academic performance as an indicator of his love for her – "you wouldn't embarrass me by not doing well would you?" was the most recent round in that little battle. Completely ignoring lecture, Shinji began to study on his own. He had actually pulled ahead of the class thanks to Asuka's tutoring and the focused study time at home without distractions and now that he was properly motivated, he intended to keep it that way – especially with the concert having been moved up to tomorrow.

* * *

_Band Practice That Afternoon_

* * *

They had just completed the dress rehearsal using the modified and approved set list. Modified because Shinji with cracked ribs couldn't sing the whole set as they had originally planned, so they had to change some of the songs to better fit other vocal ranges. Then, Hikari had to get the new list reviewed and approved by the principal. All the hassle really started to take the fun out of this little band experience, but he was glad that someone else got to deal with the really tedious parts. 

Oddly enough, now that all of the students had exited, Shinji, Toji, and Kensuke found themselves alone in the room. Feeling oddly disconnected, Shinji had to think hard to remember that Rei, Asuka, and Hikari had gone off to talk to the decorating commitee about some sort of sign. Shinji came out of his little reverie to notice Toji and Kensuke staring at him.

"What? Did I spill something on myself?" asked a startled Shinji who began looking at the front of his shirt.

"No, no. We were just wondering when you were going to tell us about this audition and what it all means," offered Kensuke.

Shinji had known his friends for a while and this was definitely odd. They had never really been all that interested in his music. "Um, well, when I was on suspension, I was practicing my cello. It was a nice change of pace from guitar. While I was practicing, the conductor for the Philharmonic heard me when he was walking by and gave me his card. He wants me to audition for a position. Misato, Asuka, Rei, and I talked it over and I'm going to audition, but Misato wants to be involved in discussing what role I would take with the Philharmonic depending on how the audition goes. She's concerned that with my other responsibilities, I'd be spread too thin."

"um, I guess I'll just ask for both of us," started Toji. "If you got a position with the Philharmonic, would you have to give up the band?"

Shinji was more than a little startled. He hadn't realized that band had become more than just a hobby for the guys. "I don't think so. Why?"

It was Kensuke's turn to answer. "It's just become fun, and it's allowed us to reach out in ways that we probably wouldn't have. I mean, for me, I might be getting a girlfriend out of it. Toji got to save his relationship with Hikari. It's become more than just the three of us hanging out and goofing around."

Shinji leaned back into his seat thinking about this. "All I can tell you is that I'm having as much fun as you guys and the band is important to me too. We'll figure something out."

The three friends continued talking as they cleaned up only to be interrupted by the arrival of the girls for the walk home.

* * *

_Celebration Concert_

* * *

A sea of expectant faces pushed their way towards the stage trying to get better spots. The Principal had opened the festivities by recognizing the academic teams on their accomplishments and presenting them with some small awards. As they were led to their front row, center places, Hikari had introduced the band to an uncharacteristically raucous crowd of students and had waved towards one of the younger students running a light board who immediately doused the house lights triggering off more yelling and chanting. 

Behind the curtain, Hikari gave the band their cue and Liz Phair's "Extraordinary" began to pulse from the overly load amplifiers and the curtain opened to reveal not Shinji or Asuka at the microphone, but, to her fanboy's delight, Rei.

_You think that I go home at night  
Take off my clothes, turn out the lights  
But I burn letters that I write  
To you, to make you love me_

Rei's transformation from recluse and social outcast to underground rock goddess had taken a significant amount of work from Shinji and Asuka, but it was paying off. She had a kind of infectious energy that had started a bunch of the students jumping up and down in time to her head bobs.

_Yeah, I drive naked through the park  
And run the stop sign in the dark  
Stand in the street, yell out my heart  
To make, to make you love me_

_I am extraordinary  
If you'd ever get to know me  
I am extraordinary  
I am just your ordinary  
Average every day sane psycho  
Supergoddess  
Average every day sane psycho_

It was at this point that Rei did something that dropped bodies around the concert in the same way as if she had opened up with an automatic weapon – with a flip of her head to get her hair out of her face, she smiled at the crowd. Groaning boys trying hard to regain consciousness and stop the bleeding from their noses littered the concert floor. Shinji and Asuka merely shared a smile at their apprentice's success at making a crowd impression.

_You may not believe in me  
But I believe in you  
So I still take the trash out  
Does that make me too normal for you_

_So dig a little deeper cause  
You still don't get it yet  
See me lickin' my lips, need a primitive fix  
And I'll make, I'll make you love me_

_I am extraordinary  
If you'd ever get to know me  
I am extraordinary  
I am just your ordinary_

_  
Average every day sane psycho  
Supergoddess  
Average every day sane psycho  
Supergoddess_

For Asuka and Hikari, watching the reaction of the other girls in the audience was enlightening. Many of the girls hadn't viewed Rei as significant competition even after the school dance. Most of the fanboy attention that she had received was viewed as just overflow from the popularity of Asuka and Shinji. But, they were now seeing her on full display, and with Asuka off the market, many of the girls had figured that competition had gotten easier. They now realized that Rei was easily stepping up into Asuka's place as most eligible bachelorette, and they were not happy. Needless to say, Asuka and Hikari were very amused and already thinking about how to have some fun with this.

_See me jump through hoops for you  
You stand there watching me performing  
What exactly do you do  
Have you ever thought it's you that's boring_

_Who the hell are you  
I am extraordinary  
If you'd ever get to know me  
I am extraordinary_

_I am just your ordinary  
Average every day sane psycho  
Supergoddess_

_Average every day sane psycho  
Average every day sane psycho  
Supergoddess_

_Average every day sane psycho  
Average every day sane psycho  
Supergoddess_

_Average every day sane psycho  
Average every day sane psycho_

Rei gave a little bow to the screaming, applauding students as she moved away from the microphone. She made eye contact with Shinji and Asuka and received big smiles from both of them causing her to blush a little more as she took up her normal spot on stage.

Not waiting for an introduction or recap of the last song, Asuka moved up to the microphone and nodded to Shinji who, after a quick punch of his effects pedals, twanged out the first notes of the Eurythmics' "Would I Lie to You".

_Would I lie to you?  
Would I lie to you honey?  
Now would I say something that wasn't true?  
I'm asking you sugar  
Would I lie to you?_

To be honest, many of Asuka's friends were surprised that she had picked a break up song to sing and were worried about how Shinji would take it. What they didn't know was that Asuka wasn't singing about Shinji, and he knew it. From the first time he heard her practicing the vocals, he knew exactly who she was singing about.

_My friends - know what's in store.  
I won't be here anymore  
I've packed my bags  
I've cleaned the floor._

_Watch me walkin'.  
Walkin' out the door.  
Believe me - I'll make it make it  
Believe me - I'll make it make it_

Everyone interprets lyrics in a personal way, and it was obvious that the audience had all picked their own interpretations – luckily for Shinji and Asuka, none of those interpretations involved thinking that they were breaking up. Too much evidence to the contrary had been built up since the school dance for that to be a possibility, but it did sort of trigger off speculation on what Asuka was singing about since the idea that she had just picked a song at random was just too simple an explanation.

_Would I lie to you?  
Would I lie to you honey?  
Now would I say something that wasn't true?  
I'm asking you sugar  
Would I lie to you?_

_Tell you straight - no intervention.  
To your face - no deception.  
You're the biggest fake.  
That much is true._

_Had all I can take.  
Now I'm leaving you_

_Believe me - I'll make it make it  
Believe me - I'll make it make it_

Shinji had been playing the entire song with a cryptic little smile on his face – mostly because he knew what the others didn't – the person Asuka was singing too. He let his mind drift as he played. He knew that she was singing to her former self – the Asuka that had to push people away, who thought that lonely was better than to be together, and who thought that pride was an adequate substitute for love. They had had another of those sunset, roof top conversations while talking about what song she would sing and, when they had come around to this one, what it really meant to her.

_Would I lie to you?  
Would I lie to you honey?  
Now would I say something that wasn't true?  
I'm asking you sugar  
Would I lie to you?_

_Would I lie to you?  
Would I lie to you honey?  
Now would I say something that wasn't true?  
I'm asking you sugar  
Would I lie to you?_

Shinji watched Asuka sing with feelings of pride and love at war within him for supremacy. Feeling his eyes on her, Asuka glanced over at him gave him a smile and a small, blown kiss at the next break in the lyrics. Shinji felt like that small kiss was going to knock him into next week and he almost missed the chord change. While most of the boys were just entranced by the one-two punches of Rei and then Asuka singing, the girls in the audience, while enjoying the concert, seethed with jealousy which just ignited into a white hot flame at the loving glance given to Shinji by Asuka. As they came to the realization that this wasn't a breakup message, the jealousy began to give way to resignation that Shinji wasn't available. But, some of them still harbored hope that they could get Shinji to notice them.

_My friends - know what's in store.  
I won't be here anymore.  
I've packed my bags  
I've cleaned the floor.  
Watch me walkin'._

_Walkin' out the door.  
Believe me - I'll make it make it  
Believe me - I'll make it make it_

With a final flourish of the guitar, Asuka brought the song to a close to thunderous applause.

Shinji moved up to the microphone to do the final three songs, and as he passed his fiery princess, she breathed into his ear, "Knock 'em dead, Shin-chan."

**Author's Parting Shots**: So, the chapters are getting longer and taking longer to post. Hopefully, the next one won't take quite so long – I've got it mostly thought out and I expect to have time to work on it.


	13. The Thin White Duke Holds Court

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 12: The Thin White Duke Holds Court**

* * *

_Celebration Concert – Tokyo-3 Junior High School_

* * *

As Shinji approached the microphone, the raucous student body erupted into renewed screaming and chaos as their current rock idol stepped forward. They had been worked into quite the frenzy by Asuka and Rei, and there appeared to be little holding them back at the moment. As Shinji surveyed the crowd, he noted that many of the teachers looked uncomfortable – almost as if they wanted to bring in police in riot gear to quell the angry mob. He also saw the face he had been looking for – Yuki Takeda. Kensuke had neglected to mention that she was part of the academic decathlon team being recognized and Shinji had spent significant moments searching the wrong part of the crowd for her. With a glance back at the others, he got the big thumbs up from everyone including last minute encouragement from Asuka. He was going to do this as a favor to Kensuke, but to make sure that he didn't die a horrible, painful death; he had cleared it with Asuka who, oddly enough, thought it was a fantastic idea. Go figure.

Shinji swung his guitar around to his back since Asuka was going to do the honors for this tune, and he was going to focus on singing to make this memorable. Pulling the microphone from the stand he moved over to stand directly in front of a startled Yuki Takeda. As Shinji took his spot on the stage, Toji counted off Urge Overkill's cover of Neil Diamond's "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon" and Shinji's voice, surprisingly, hit the low register baritones with a rich timber evoking thoughts of Barry White in the older teachers.

_Girl, you'll be a woman... soon_

_I love you so much, can't count all the ways_

_I've died for you girl and all they can say is_

_"He's not your kind"_

Kensuke had cornered Shinji one afternoon wanting some advice – specifically, dating advice. He was having trouble convincing Yuki and her parents that he was a suitable match. Apparently, his otaku reputation had preceded him, and while Yuki was an excellent student, she wasn't anywhere near otaku status. After some questions, it appeared that it really boiled down to Kensuke having not convinced her that she was more important than all of the otaku distractions and that he really could be closer to normal. Because of that question of his commitment, she wasn't vigorously defending him to her parents who, in turn, took it as a sign that he wasn't the right fit for their daughter – even for dating.

_They never get tired of putting me down_

_And I'll never know when I come around_

_What I'm gonna find_

_Don't let them make up your mind._

_Don't you know..._

Shinji, ever the practical person, said that Kensuke needed to do something to prove it once and for all. They had kicked around some ideas, but the best they could come up with was having Shinji sing something to her at the concert, that is to say, Kensuke pleaded with Shinji to do this out of Stooge brotherhood. Shinji for his part was skeptical. He had wanted Kensuke to sing it since that would show the most commitment similar to what Toji had done to get out of the doghouse with Hikari, but that was shot down after Kensuke had attempted a couple of easier tunes and his voice cracked as only a teen boy's voice can crack. Shinji reluctantly agreed under the condition that Asuka had to approve it since the last thing he wanted was to wake up some morning missing valuable body parts.

_Girl, you'll be a woman soon,_

_Please, come take my hand_

At this line, Shinji knelt down at the edge of the stage in front of a wide-eyed and blushing Yuki and motioned for her to take his hand as he stared into her eyes. Kensuke had told her that he had arranged something special for her at the concert, but even her keen intellect had not suspected a personal serenade from the most popular boy in the school – in front of all of her friends!

_Girl, you'll be a woman soon,_

_Soon, you'll need a man_

_I've been misunderstood for all of my life_

_But what they're saying girl it cuts like a knife_

_"The boy's no good"_

As he was singing to Yuki, Shinji did something that he tended to do with Asuka – he lightly rubbed her hand with his fingers as he held it. It definitely had the desired effect. Out of his peripheral vision, he noted the shocked looked on the faces of who he suspected were Yuki's friends.

_Well I've finally found what I'm a looking for_

_But if they get their chance they'll end it for sure_

_Surely would_

_Baby I've done all I could_

_Now it's up to you..._

With this last verse, Shinji looked over his shoulder meaningfully at Kensuke whose big smile at Yuki's obvious appreciation of his surprise threatened to crack open his skull. Turning back to Yuki, Shinji gave one last squeeze of her hand and a small smile as he stood to return to the microphone stand to finish the song.

_Girl, you'll be a woman soon,_

_Please, come take my hand_

_Girl, you'll be a woman soon,_

_Soon, you'll need a man_

_Girl, you'll be a woman soon,_

_Please, come take my hand_

_Girl, you'll be a woman soon,_

_Soon but soon, you'll need a man_

As the song closed, the students erupted into a raucous applause that earned them a smile and wave from Shinji. He turned to grab a sip of water from the bottle that Asuka handed him, and as their hands touched, he let his fingers linger on hers as he sought the reassurance of her smile. A part of him still didn't feel comfortable singing to other girls on such an intimate level. It felt like he was selling his feelings – especially those special feelings that he really only had for Asuka – or was just outright lying to the people in front of him.

Sensing his unease, Asuka leaned closer to him, so he could hear as he took his drink of water. "Baka-kun, it's alright. You're helping your friend not promising yourself to her. Relax. We can talk more, later."

Taking a deep breath for the first time in weeks with adrenaline killing the pain, Shinji's mind began to clear as he nodded and smiled. He felt relieved and calmer now. He constantly marveled how just being near Asuka acted like a safety net – stopping the normal path of plunging into self-loathing and despair.

As he turned back towards the microphone, Shinji began to embrace the rock idol persona and his spirit began to infect everyone around him. Leaning into the microphone, his announcement of the next song sounded remarkably close to the original's, "This is 'Inside Out' by the Mighty Lemon Drops."

With that Asuka's guitar started up the clean, major chords of the introduction before being joined by Rei's bass rhythms and Toji's drums. Joining in with his rhythm guitar, Shinji stepped up to the microphone, the pain of his ribs forgotten in the adrenaline rush of performing, triggering the crowd of students to start jumping up and down in time with the music, hands waving in the air, and screaming his name.

_Waiting for the last train_

_Standing in the pouring rain_

_Thinking, wishing, hoping that_

_You'll never feel the same again_

_Lying wide awake at night_

_Sleeping in the morning light_

_Doing all these sins that you shouldn't be ashamed about_

_You can stop my heart from turning inside out_

_Try to stop my world from turning inside out_

He had them. They were all infected with the Shinji virus. He didn't even realize what he had done, but for the first time, he noticed that the crowd was responding to him and it was both scary and exhilarating. The pulse of the music and the hands in the air from the dancing students created a euphoric feeling in the young musician.

_Clutching onto the last straw_

_Seeing things that I never saw_

_Pushed me down I fell_

_To a place I didn't know too well_

_Waiting for the last train_

_Standing in the pouring rain_

_Oh, even though I try to break this spell_

_I know I haven't got a hope in hell_

_You can stop my heart from turning inside out_

_Try to stop my world from turning inside out_

Shinji closed his eyes and continued to sing into the microphone with energy few would guess contained in the shy boy. He could feel the waves of energy from the crowd and from his friends in the band all intertwined with the rhythms of the music. It was a powerful, emotional feedback loop that was pushing Shinji to perform in ways he had never thought possible.

_But you've called it a day_

_Have things your own way_

_I guess it's fair to say_

_I'm gonna make you pay_

_Wasted chances wasting time_

_Holding on till you draw the line_

_One step forward, two steps back and we were gone_

_Waiting for the last train_

_Standing in the pouring rain_

_Lying wide awake at night_

_Sleeping in the morning light_

_You can stop my heart from turning inside out_

_Try to stop my world from turning inside out_

_You can stop my heart from turning inside out_

_Try to stop my world from turning inside out_

Without waiting, Shinji merely started up into David Bowie's "Modern Love". He mad3e a smooth transition of the guitar themes to Asuka, slid the guitar behind his back, and the audience saw the transformation of Shinji into the Thin White Duke.

_I know when to go out_

_And when to stay in_

_Get things done spoken_

_I catch a paper boy_

_But things don't really change_

_I'm standing in the wind_

_But I never wave bye-bye_

_But I try_

_I try_

Shinji had the mannerisms and the crowd presence. He had woven such a spell that the teens in the audience didn't realize that they had surrendered to his spell. As he encouraged them to dance, they danced. Shinji, for his part, truly felt the acceptance and adoration of the crowd for the first time. It was different from the love from Asuka and Rei and the acceptance and comfort from Misato. But, it still moved within him and eased the heavy burden he carried within his heart. The burden he was realizing that could be set aside.

_There's no sign of life_

_It's just the power to charm_

_I'm lying in the rain_

_But I never wave bye-bye_

_But I try_

_I try_

_Never gonna fall for_

_Modern Love walks beside me_

_Modern Love walks on by_

_Modern Love gets me to the Church on Time_

_Church on Time terrifies me_

_Church on Time makes me party_

_Church on Time puts my trust in God and Man_

_God and Man no confessions_

_God and Man no religion_

_God and Man don't believe_

_in Modern Love_

Shinji had replaced the saxophone solo of the original recording with his own guitar solo. Through his effects pedals, he had found a combination to recreated some of the rasp associated with the woodwind. As the notes of the solo ripped from his amplifier with a passion that wasn't present in practice, Rei and Asuka shared a glance as they noticed how the concepts of Shinji and Music seemed to intertwine and blur together.

_It's just the power to charm_

_I'm lying in the rain_

_But I never wave bye-bye_

_But I try_

_I try_

_Never gonna fall for_

_Modern Love walks beside me_

_Modern Love walks on by_

_Modern Love gets me to the Church on Time_

_Church on Time terrifies me_

_Church on Time makes me party_

_Church on Time puts my trust in God and Man_

_God and Man no confessions_

_God and Man no religion_

_God and Man don't believe_

_in Modern Love_

With a final flourish, Shinji ended the song and the entire student body erupted into pandemonium. Students were screaming his name; roaring Rei's name; bellowing Asuka's name. Hands reached desperately to touch one of the three as Shinji, Rei, and Asuka had all backed away from the front of the stage, now standing together in front of Toji's riser. They weren't afraid – when you've faced the end of the world and your own painful death, screaming students were not really intimidating – but they were surprised at the overwhelming reaction they were receiving. As the crowd noticed the closing curtains and the band moving to pack up, a chant began for an encore. Growing in intensity, the faculty looked at each other in shock.

Hikari had an entirely different reaction. Her budding political skills noticed the crowd reaction and she turned to the Principal to press home the advantage.

"Sir, I think it would be a good idea to give them a bit of an encore. It may help to bring a more convenient ending to the celebration."

Startled, the Principal turned to Hikari with eyes that were a little wild and simply nodded his head. Hikari quickly made her way to the stage where the circle of friends had gathered to decide what they were going to about the pandemonium. Breathless from the little run, Hikari quickly outlined the concession she got from the Principal, and oddly, everyone turned to look at Shinji for a decision.

Oddly unfazed by the expected decision, Shinji merely shrugged. "Okay, we've got two more tunes we could do. Asuka, Rei, you guys are up next."

Shinji stepped up to the microphone to get the crowds attention with the message that they were going to do two more songs as an encore and announce Halcali's "Tip Taps Tip".

The crowd began to come under control as Shinji backed away from the microphone only to have Rei and Asuka take his place. Soon, Kensuke's electronic piano was bopping out chords.

_Na Na Na_

_why so why?_

_souzou shite mite yo_

_Just you like_

_suki na koto_

_hitotsu dake ja nai_

_kimi ga hiraku tobira_

_kotae wa soko ni aru no? nai no?_

_I don't know. ima mo wakannai yo_

_itsu datte bokura wa maigo_

_otona wa iu "Just a child..."_

_demo toiteku no ga tanoshii n' da_

_sugu ni wa tokenai kamo shirennai_

_minna hate nai hate na_

_akiramenai tokeru made wa_

_shippai shitemo nee_

_"All right!!" to itte choudai_

_seiippai IME-JI no umi oyoide..._

_"akiramenaide hatenai hate na"_

The students in the gym were stunned. They had only a limited amount of experience of Asuka not belittling Rei and now, here they were doing a duet of a pop song. The surreal sight was topped for the male part of the student body that two of the prettiest, most popular girls were on stage and singing.

_Na Na Na_

_why so why?_

_souzou shite mite yo_

_Just you like_

_suki na koto_

_hitotsu dake ja nai_

_kimi shika shiranai ashita_

_Tip Taps..._

During the short instrumental break, Shinji's guitar, sans distortion, pulsed out a clear, melodic solo over the top of Toji's drums and Kensuke's keyboard. The baseline cut out as both Rei and Asuka focused on dancing around Shinji.

_teatari shidai de_

_"nan demo ii" to yuu no wa kantan_

_demo ii no?_

_kitto heart-beat ga HINTO_

_tesaguri shita tte erande hoshii yo_

_datte toiteku no ga tanoshii n' da_

_toketara hyaku bai kamo shinnai_

_minna hate nai hate na_

_tashikametai dakara makenai_

_shippai shitemo nee_

_koukai shinaide choudai_

_mou ikkai IME-JI no sora miagete..._

_(akiramenaide hatenai hate na)_

_Na Na Na_

_why so why?_

_souzou shite mite yo_

_Just you like_

_suki na koto_

_hitotsu dake ja nai_

_kimi shika mienai nanika_

_chiisana mune no KAMERA ga toraeta_

_yume no kakera chanto utsushite_

_hito KOMA hito KOMA ima wo kakeru nara_

_umareru yo ano DORAMA_

The girls' clear sopranos over the top of the pop beat wove an almost hypnotic spell. The dancing continued but the screaming had almost completely died out. The only sonic contribution from the crowd was a few students singing along – to the annoyance of those closest to them who could hear them over the amplified voices of Rei and Asuka.

_Na Na Na_

_why so why?_

_souzou shite mite yo_

_Just you like_

_suki na koto_

_hitotsu dake ja nai_

_kimi ga hiraku tobira_

_kotae wa soko ni aru no? nai no?_

_I don't know. ima mo wakannai yo_

_itsu datte bokura wa maigo_

_otona wa iu "Just a child..."_

_demo toiteku no ga tanoshii n' da_

_sugu ni wa tokenai kamo shirennai_

_minna hate nai hate na_

_akiramenai tokeru made wa_

_shippai shitemo nee_

_"All right!!" to itte choudai_

_seiippai IME-JI no umi oyoide..._

_"akiramenaide hatenai hate na"_

_Na Na Na_

_why so why?_

_souzou shite mite yo_

_Just you like_

_suki na koto_

_hitotsu dake ja nai_

_kimi shika shiranai ashita_

_Tip Taps..._

The stunned crowd erupted into shouting and applause as Rei and Asuka took their well-deserved kudos. As they stepped back from the microphone, Shinji moved to take their place for the final tune of the show. Passing Asuka, he gave her a broad, happy smile and said into her ear over the crowd noise, "You were awesome!" causing her to, uncharacteristically, blush as she grabbed her guitar to cover pleasure of the compliment from her boyfriend. Shinji, for his part, had slipped back into performance mode. The opening notes of Audioslave's "Like a Stone" ripped from the band and Shinji's voice pierced the sonic tapestry like a knife.

_On a cobweb afternoon_

_In a room full of emptiness_

_By a freeway I confess_

_I was lost in the pages_

_Of a book full of death_

_Reading how we'll die alone_

_If we're good we're laid to rest_

_Anywhere we want to go_

_In your house I long to be_

_Room by room patiently_

_I'll wait for you there_

_Like a stone I'll wait for you there_

_Alone_

Shinji's voice was deep and powerful. It even contained a raspy, gravelly element that surprised many of the adults listening. Many of the students were enraptured and caught up again in the power. Off to one side a mosh pit had started up, unnoticed by the teaching staff.

_On my deathbed I will pray_

_To the gods and thee angels_

_Like a pagan to anyone_

_Who will take me to heaven_

_To a place I recall_

_I was there so long ago_

_The sky was bruised_

_The wine was bled_

_And there you led me on_

_In your house I long to be_

_Room by room patiently_

_I'll wait for you there_

_Like a stone I'll wait for you there_

_Alone Alone_

Asuka had been strumming the big chords with exaggerated flourishes of her arm building the excitement as Shinji stepped back from the microphone into the guitar solo. With one foot up on a monitor speaker and his head tilted down in concentration on the fingering, the solo started jumped into the high notes with his left hand shaking the notes into vibrato then transitioning into the high pitched, machine gun-like staccato riff culminating in the shaking feedback. Throughout all of this, Rei's head bounced up and down in time to the bass beat like a blue pom pom wielded by an insane cheerleader. As the solo ended, Shinji stepped back up to microphone to close the deal.

_And on I read_

_Until the day was gone_

_And I sat in regret_

_Of all the things I've done_

_For all that I've blessed_

_And all that I've wronged_

_In dreams until my death_

_I will wander on_

_In your house I long to be_

_Room by room patiently_

_I'll wait for you there_

_Like a stone I'll wait for you there_

_Alone Alone_

The screaming and applause erupted like a volcano and in that seminal moment, Shinji began to realize what it really meant to be a performer and how the adulation of a crowd could wash over a person. As the curtains began to close and the group waved good bye, a small, cryptic, mischievous smile much like the ones his sister was so fond of could be seen on Shinji's face.

* * *

**Author's Parting Shots**: So, this was a nice,short, fluffy chapter with lots of music and not so much in the way of plot. I just wanted to take a little break and create a musical interlude to the story. I'll be back with more, soon. Also, I had to transcribe the "Inside Out" lyrics on my own, so they may not be 100 accurate. For those of you who didn't know, Halcali's "Tip Taps Tip" is the closing theme for the middle third of the Eureka 7 episodes, and no, I haven't translated them to English – but I'm sure you can find a translation _somewhere_. 


	14. Lost and Found

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 13: Lost and Found  
**

* * *

_Late Saturday Morning – The Apartment_

* * *

Asuka awoke to find a warm but empty spot on the futon that was normally occupied by a certain, brown-haired boy. A slight frown crossed her face until the right neurons connected to remind her that Shinji, Toji, and Kensuke had planned on some "Stooge"-bonding this morning since Saturday classes were cancelled in preparation for a series of big exams. Asuka, Rei, and Hikari, more practical than the boys, all chose to sleep in instead. Having decided that more sleep was not in the cards, Asuka made her way to the bathroom in search of hot water and toothpaste as part of the normal morning rituals of preparing to face the day. 

Later, cleaned and marginally ready to face the day, Asuka made her way to the kitchen. As she passed Rei's room, she heard music piping out from the girl's laptop. It was mostly muffled by the door and unintelligible, but it did seem like Rei was streaming some sort of oldies station. Continuing down the hall, Asuka passed Misato's room and noted that she was still asleep judging from the gentle snoring emanating out from under the door. Asuka just shook her head as she continued on the trek down the hall. Misato must have come in pretty late since Asuka and Shinji had sat up past midnight snuggling and talking and hadn't heard her come in. This prompted a thought within Asuka that they needed to find out who was Misato's new boyfriend.

That thought was immediately filed away in the "to do list" as the smell of breakfast washed over Asuka. Surprised, she burst into the kitchen half expecting to see Shinji in his familiar blue apron cooking. A bit disappointed to find the kitchen empty, she was delighted to find brunch plates in the oven on warm – one each complete with labels for Asuka, Rei, and Misato – from Shinji. As she retrieved her plate and proceeded to demolish her meal, she reflected on how her Baka seemed to always know how to do little things for her that were very thoughtful and sweet. In fact, these little things were probably what kept the insecurity monster at bay through the constant little reminders that he loved her. Plate empty and daydream over, Asuka stood to clean the plate and place it in the dish rack. Making her way back down the hall, she heard something odd coming from Rei's room. Over the soft music that was still playing, Asuka was positive she could hear sobbing. Alarmed, she announced, "Rei, are you alright? I'm coming in."

Bursting through the door before Rei could have answered; Asuka was startled to see Rei huddled under her blanket in the fetal position sobbing bitterly as if the world had ended for her. Even more alarmed than before, Asuka sat down next to Rei, "Rei, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Looking up at Asuka with tear stains on her face and eyes puffy from crying, Rei managed to get out between sniffles and sobs, "Will I ever be loved?"

Shocked, Asuka immediately remembered the last time she had heard something similar from Rei.

* * *

_Flashback_

* * *

Misato had come back from NERV to immediately call a "family meeting" with Shinji and Asuka. As the three of them arranged themselves around the kitchen table, Misato had come to an internal decision that there was no tactful, diplomatic way to tell them, so she just came right out and dropped the grand piano on their heads. 

"We found Rei alive today in the pool of LCL inside Terminal Dogma where we had kept Lilith. She's currently undergoing extensive medical exams and debriefing, but I can give you what we've pieced together."

Misato paused to allow Shinji and Asuka to catch up with what she had just said. Shinji was speechless. Asuka, on the other hand, was not.

"What!?!? Wondergirl's alive?!?!?!" Asuka, to say the least, was not pleased to have the biggest competitor for Shinji's affections back on the scene. While she had no doubt in her mind that Shinji was hers, Asuka was not confident in the strength of her bond with Shinji.

"There's more," replied Misato much to the consternation of the two teens in front of her. "Rei will be coming to live with us since she no longer has a guardian, so until we can finish the remodeling on the apartment, she'll be rooming with you, Asuka. In addition, the routine DNA scans that are performed and some of the information we recently recovered from the Magi indicate some important facts that the two of you need to understand," continued Misato over the very vocal and threatening protests from Asuka. These protests subsided as Misato mentioned the Magi.

"It seems there's a lot about Rei that I didn't know about." Misato then began to recount Rei's origin's and Gendo's plans for Rei in bringing about Third Impact and Instrumentality. She also confirmed what she and Shinji had been shown by Ritsuko – that many Rei's had been created to support the dummy plug systems and as potential replacements in case Rei was killed. Misato concluded with the final two blows in a quick one-two punch. "Rei's DNA confirms that she is essentially Shinji's half-sister since the former Commander had used Shinji's mother's DNA in creating her, and she has come back with a more complete set of emotions that we speculate is a function of the aborted Third Impact."

Silence ruled the table broken only by the hum of the refrigerator's compressor. Sometime in the monologue, Shinji's hand had sought out Asuka's and now tightly held it as he fought to try and process everything he had just been told. The most he could summon was, "So, I have a . . . sister?"

"That's right."

Asuka was completely set back on her heels. Her only coherent thought about Rei was that she was no longer a threat for Shinji romantically but would still be competition for the boy's attention and Asuka hated sharing. Releasing Shinji's hand, Asuka stood and announced, "I need some air. This is almost too much." With that, she headed to the balcony.

Shinji sat with Misato for a couple of heartbeats before getting ready to follow Asuka to find out what was really bothering her. As he stood, the door bell announced a visitor. Opening the door, he was surprised to find Rei standing there with a small bag held tightly in her hands with white knuckles and, in place of her normal placid expression, a face full of worry and apprehension.

"Oh, hello, Rei. Please come in," sputtered Shinji who was saved only by normal good manners from merely standing in the doorway gawking at the poor girl.

"Thank you," was the only response, so soft that he almost missed it as Rei came in and stood by the door as Shinji pushed it closed.

"Shinji, why don't you take Rei to the room she's going to share with Asuka and let her get settled?" prompted Misato as she struggled for something meaningful in the awkward silence.

Shinji, more emotionally aware of girls now that he had a girlfriend and had spent a lot of subjective time working through emotional problems with her, noticed that Rei actually needed something more. He instead pulled Rei into a hug and said to her, "Sister, welcome home." He could feel the apprehension melt out of Rei but he could tell she was still tense. Slowly releasing her, he took her hand and said as he led her to the room, "It's ok. We'll work everything out."

As the walked towards the room, Rei noticed Asuka at the glass door to the balcony seething in anger. Asuka had apparently seen the entire event and was not a happy camper.

Rei stood in Asuka's room and after Shinji closed the door and left her to arrange her things, she placed her small bag off the side and sat down in the center of the room trying to deal with the strong emotions she was feeling for the first time. She heard the voices from the living room. Apparently, Shinji, Asuka, and Misato were having a fairly heated discussion. Rei recognized her name and some other things being said. Wrapping herself in one of Asuka's spare blankets, Rei huddled into the corner farthest from the door and began to sob uncontrollably. She had spent so many years with only a single minded purpose suppressing her emotions and now that she had them, they overwhelmed her. The feelings of despair and loneliness became almost too much. Coupled with the feeling that she had let down all of her friends at NERV by not being able to completely recall her part in Third Impact while joined with Lilith, Rei just felt an enormous emotional burden continuing to crush her very soul.

Asuka threw open the door to their room ready to rip into Rei only to see her huddled in the corner sobbing as if the world was about to end. As Asuka quietly came through the doorway and slowly shut the door behind her, Rei would never realize until much later how much Asuka had changed and how much she owed her brother for the part he played in that transformation. Asuka's anger had evaporated as empathy with Rei's plight took hold thanks to some well placed thoughts from Shinji. Asuka knew very well what it felt like to be abandoned by those you had depended on only to be forced to try and make your way in the world on your own, and Shinji's insistent urgings in the living room had actually reached the emotional core of her when Misato's more logical arguments had failed.

Kneeling down next to Rei and feeling her flinch and cower away as Asuka's arm went around her shoulders, Asuka was almost heartbroken at the sight of what she had come to realize was her boyfriend's very vulnerable little sister – an image of Rei that was very different from the Wondergirl image that Asuka had previously held onto.

It wasn't clear to Asuka how long she had held onto Rei trying to get her to calm down when the worst of the sobbing appeared to be over. It was at this point that Rei turned to look at Asuka to ask, "Will I ever be more than a tool or a burden to those around me?"

* * *

_End Flashback_

* * *

Asuka shook herself mentally as the fast forward replay completed in her head. It was at this point that she noticed the music in the background was an old, melancholy song about lost love that she recognized from some old movie that Kensuke had made everyone watch – _Top Something or Other_ – that had a bunch of testosterone fueled fighter pilots and planes. (A/N – "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin"" by the Righteous Brothers). It was, apparently, on some sort of loop because it started up again. 

_You never close your eyes any more  
When I kiss your lips  
And there's no tenderness like before  
In your fingertips  
You're trying hard not to show it baby  
But baby, baby I know it  
You've lost that loving feeling_

_Oh, that loving feeling  
You've lost that loving feeling  
Now it's gone, gone, gone  
Whoa-oh_

"Rei, of course you'll be loved. You already are," soothed Asuka. "I mean Shinji, Misato, and I love you. Shinji dotes on you taking valuable time and attention away from his girlfriend," joked Asuka as she rubbed Rei's back. "Misato loves you because you help make this a family. I love you because you're like the sister I never had, even though you do annoy me with your lapses into Wonder-mode. You're an important and loved part of this family. So, what brought this on?"

_Now there's no tenderness  
In your eyes when I reach for you  
And girl you're starting to criticize  
little things I do  
It makes me just feel like crying baby  
'Cause baby, something beautiful's dying_

With a heavy sigh, Rei sat up only to lean on Asuka's shoulder seeking the comfort of an older sister. "It's not the family love. I know my family loves me and goes out of their way for me," she responded raising her head to give Asuka a little smile. A little startled in seeing the smile, Asuka realized at that point why Shinji cherished his sister's smiles.

Wrapping an arm around Rei's shoulders, Asuka prompted, "So, if it's not family, it must be boys, right?"

Rei all of a sudden turned shy and dropped her eyes and gave a small nod into Asuka's shoulder.

_You've lost that loving feeling  
Oh that loving feeling  
Bring back that loving feeling  
Now it's gone gone gone  
And I can't go on  
No-oh-oh_

"Are you wondering if you'll find a nice boy?" Asuka gently prompted.

Without looking up, Rei just gave another small nod. Asuka smiled inwardly at the Rei's "predicament" but also began to wonder why Misato wasn't there as their only real mother figure. As quickly as that thought arrived, it was rebutted by the knowledge that Misato wasn't really the best source of advice on boys.

_Baby baby I get down on my knees for you  
If you would only love me like you used to do  
We had a love  
A love a love you don't find every day  
So don't...don't...don't let it slip away_

"I happen to know that you'll find one just like I found one. You can't predict when it will happen, but you can know that it will, and you have to have faith in that . . . Mein Gott! That's almost as cliché as the stuff your brother says!" exclaimed Asuka to Rei's amusement.

_Bring back that loving feeling  
Oh, that loving feeling  
Bring back that loving feeling  
Now it's gone...gone...gone...  
And I can't go on...  
No-oh-oh..._

"Hah. Good. I finally got you to laugh a little," declared Asuka. "So, you now have to shut off this depressing music, get cleaned up and dressed, eat the brunch your brother left warming for you in the oven, and then we can get Hikari and go shopping!"

With a little sniffle, Rei nodded. As simplistic a solution as it seemed, she had merely needed to know that another girl understood her problem. Rei hadn't realized that her feelings were normal and that there were probably hundreds of girls having similar thoughts all around the city.

* * *

_Arcade – That Same Morning_

* * *

Toji, Shinji, and Kensuke had escaped the clutches of their respective girlfriends long enough to fully regress back to their primal Stooge states. Having found no takers to pound on in any of the games they basically had been doing a number on each other with the requisite trash talking and shouts of glee or despair as wins and losses piled up. However, the fun had started to pale as only so much electronic carnage can be had against familiar opponents. 

The boys decided that it was time for food and after weighing their options, they just settled on the food court of the big department store down the block. Having gotten food samples from nearly every stall, the boys sat down to stuff their faces.

"Shinji, what are you getting Asuka for her birthday?" mumbled Toji around a mouthful of food.

The food Shinji had on its way to his mouth halted about halfway on its journey and slowly returned to its place in his bowl as Shinji looked up at his friend. A sideways glance at Kensuke noted that the boy was paying extraordinarily close attention to the conversation.

"Where did that come from?" sputtered a surprised Shinji. This was definitely not on the radar screen of possible conversations from his friends.

"Well, Hikari mentioned to me that I have to go shopping with her to get Asuka's gift, and she wanted me to find out what you were getting Asuka so we wouldn't duplicate gifts."

"You really think that Hikari and I would get Asuka the same thing?"

"um . . . well, no."

"So, why do you want to know what I'm getting Asuka?"

"Shinji, do you realize that you've had this whole conversation about a birthday gift for your girlfriend without blushing?" interrupted Kensuke.

"Yeah, and stop trying to change the subject," replied Shinji without taking his eyes off of Toji.

"Okay, you caught me," replied Toji. "We were just fishing for gift ideas for Yuki and Hikari. We really don't have any good sources, and we sure aren't going to listen to the other guys at school."

"Yeah, the last round of gifts went over like lead balloons," added Kensuke.

"A bunch of guys bought stuff like sports tickets. Which at first seemed like a good idea, but their girlfriends were pretty unhappy. Something about it not being more for the boy than the girl. Go figure. I thought some of them liked sports," contributed Toji.

Shinji just leaned back in his chair. He was a little stunned that he was now the fountain of knowledge for the right thing to get your girlfriend. As best as he could remember, he hadn't gotten Asuka any sort of gift yet and he didn't think he had a reputation as some sort of emo-guy. Depressed, anti-social, yes. Emo-guy, no.

"So, why come to me?" Shinji blurted out.

Kensuke and Toji shared a glance that seemed to be a short battle of wills to see who had to answer. Kensuke having lost, spoke up, "So, you know about your current social status, right?"

"My what?"

Kensuke let out a heavy sigh after realizing how out of touch his friend was. "Jeez, Shinji, do you live in a bubble? Your social status is sky high right now. You're like the most popular boy in school – you're the front man for the most popular band in school, you're a former EVA pilot, all the girls think you're cute, and you tamed the Red Devil."

Shinji was about to tell his friends that they were insane or just deranged for believing that kind of gossip until he noticed that they were serious about that last statement. This latest revelation was a bigger shock than Toji and Kensuke coming to him for gift advice. It was surreal and almost more than he could take. Shinji just sat there alternately staring at Kensuke and Toji while trying not to hyperventilate. For their parts, Kensuke and Toji were realizing just how big a bomb they had just dropped on their friend and were watching him with growing concern when Shinji finally had gathered enough wits about him to say something.

"I guess I really don't pay much attention to what everyone else is thinking about me but that seems to explain what's been happening." Not really prepared to continue following that rabbit down the hole, Shinji shifted back to their original train of thought.

"But, you asked what I'm getting Asuka. I'm taking that picture of us at our first concert and putting it in a special frame."

Kensuke and Toji looked at Shinji just stunned – that kind of gift just seemed completely out of the ordinary for a boy to give a girl – and they were having a hard time fitting that statement into their reality picture of Shinji. In fact, they were starting to wonder if their friend _had_ gone all sensitive on them.

"Where'd you get the idea for the picture frame? Did Misato-san give you the idea? What's on this frame?" demanded an exasperated Toji who was feeling the pressure because anything Shinji gave Asuka would immediately be reported to Hikari for comparison to Toji.

"Uhh, it was actually a suggestion from Maya," Shinji replied absently while he was still thinking about the popularity statement from Kensuke.

"Maya?!? You've got _another_ girl on the side?" interjected a flabbergasted Kensuke.

"Huh? That's not it at all. You're always jumping to conclusions! No wonder Asuka calls you a hentai. Toji has met her - Lieutenant Ibuki. She's one of the research leads. She and I were reviewing the last round of research data and she saw that I was really distracted. To make a long story short, I ended up asking her advice on what I should get Asuka and she suggested a picture of some sort. She said gifts are supposed to be reminders of your most pleasant memories, not memories themselves," explained Shinji blushing at what Kensuke had implied.

"So, to answer your next question, I don't know what you should get them. If you follow Lieutenant Ibuki's advice, it should be something that reminds them of a pleasant memory or significant memory about you," continued Shinji a little more calm, blush fading from his face.

The boys were quiet for a little while as Shinji turned back to his food and Kensuke and Toji thought hard about what to get for their significant others. Shinji had slid back from the table and was watching his friends struggle with their gift buying decisions when he turned his head just in time to see Asuka as she sat down in his lap and wrapped her arms around him in big hug. Startled at the public display of affection, giggles from Rei and Hikari who were in tow, and some of the disapproving looks of some of the adults, Shinji did the only thing his brain could come up with hug her back and give her a kiss.

Pleased that she could still get Shinji to blush and with his response, Asuka stayed in his lap and softened her next comments from her originally planned, more scathing remarks, "So, are the Stooges now all bonded?"

"Yup. Laid waste to vast electronic armies. Rescued many a virtual maiden and won the accolades of many fictional throngs," responded Shinji.

Asuka merely put her head on his shoulder and said to him, "MY invincible Shinji," in a mock, breathless whisper of the femme fatale. After a moment's pause, they both started to laugh while their friends merely shook their heads at the display.

"Asuka, what brings you guys to this place? You hardly ever shop here," queried Shinji.

Raising her head, "We knew you guys would be here since you ALWAYS eat here. It's like some Stooge ritual or something. We want you to take us to the movies."

Looking around and seeing head nods, Toji actually was the first to respond. "Which movie?" since there really wasn't much choice in arguing with the girls since it appeared that the matter seemed already decided.

"It's all arranged, so you just come with us," replied Hikari as she pulled on Toji's hand to get him to get up which in turn provided the opening for Rei to inject, "And, we already invited Yuki-chan on behalf of Kensuke who of course said yes because she can't turn down an invitation from more senior girls."

The boys merely sat there in agreement. They knew that when the girls had put this much planning and effort into something, they were not to be denied.

* * *

**Author's Parting Shots**: So, I had promised a while ago that I'd get around to more info on Rei's arrival. I figured that after 12 chapters, I was more than a little late. Also, one of the things I always thought would be intriguing is how Rei would deal with life's emotional pressures without the singularity of purpose provided by Gendo's plans, so you get a bit of that experiment in this chapter. 


	15. Pressure to be Better Than It Was

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 14: Pressure to Be Better Than It Was**

* * *

_Same Saturday – Tokyo-3 Subway_

* * *

Yuki Takeda sat on the train headed to the movie theater outwardly calm but with inner turmoil reflected in the sounds of Queen's "Under Pressure" playing through her ear buds.

_Mm ba ba de  
Um bum ba de  
Um bu bu bum da de_

Pressure pushing down on me  
Pressing down on you no man ask for  
Under pressure that brings a building down  
Splits a family in two  
Puts people on streets

_Um ba ba be_

_Um ba ba be_

_De day da_

_Ee day da - that's okay_

It had started with the mid-morning call from Rei.

"Takeda-san, it's Rei Ayanami."

"Ayanami-sempai, how good of you to call," replied a confused Yuki.

"Asuka, Hikari, and I are headed to the movies and we're going to bring the boys along with us. We thought you would want to come too since we expect Kensuke to be there with Toji and Shinji."

Yuki had agreed, of course. Rei had been quite convincing and refusal was never really an option. The discussion with her mother did not turn out to be a problem either since it was really a group outing. Her father had not been overly pleased given his view that she was too young to date seriously, but he had acquiesced when he learned it was a fairly large group of people and not just the couple. In fact, the enormity of what she was doing didn't hit her until she was standing on the subway platform waiting for the next train – she was headed out with upperclassmen and the most popular kids in school.

_It's the terror of knowing  
What the world is about  
Watching some good friends  
Screaming 'Let me out'  
Pray tomorrow gets me higher  
Pressure on people people on streets_

_Day day de mm hm  
Da da da ba ba  
Okay_

_Chippin' around - kick my brains around the floor  
These are the days it never rains but it pours_

Yuki sat quietly in the train car trying to breathe slow and measured breaths to keep from hyperventilating. The fear had given away to excitement. Having had Shinji sing to her had been a wonderful gift from Kensuke, and Yuki was impressed at Kensuke's resourcefulness. It had caused her to re-evaluate Kensuke and in that new light, she had to admit that he had seriously dialed back his military otaku activities. Yuki doubted, rightfully so, that he would ever completely leave them behind, but they had scaled back more into a sometime hobby from moment to moment obsession. She thought it was more of the influence of his popular friends than anything she had done, but there was always hope.

Thinking of Kensuke's group of friends, Yuki was a bit excited and just a little apprehensive at being included in such an august group. In her limited interaction with them, they all had been very down to earth and had made her feel welcome. Even Asuka's teasing and normally over the top behavior had been mostly in check and had more of a friendly feel than some sort of dominance game.

_Ee do ba be  
Ee da ba ba ba  
Um bo bo  
Be lap_

_People on streets - ee da de da de  
People on streets - ee da de da de da de da_

_It's the terror of knowing  
What this world is about  
Watching some good friends  
Screaming 'Let me out'_

_Pray tomorrow - gets me higher higher high  
Pressure on people people on streets  
Turned away from it all like a blind man  
Sat on a fence but it don't work  
Keep coming up with love but it's so slashed and torn_

As she fingered the controls to her music player and glanced around the nearly empty train car, Yuki couldn't help but marvel at the turn of events in her social life. She had a fairly close circle of girlfriends and hadn't really done much on the boy-front. It was all fairly calm and predictable for a junior high school girl. That all changed when she had asked Kensuke to dance in a spur-of-the-moment decision, and when she had been grilled by Asuka, Hikari, and Rei on what her thought process was in doing so, she couldn't explain it. He seemed cute enough and smart enough, and Yuki never really thought the military otaku stuff would be a problem. In fact, she hadn't really realized who Kensuke's only friends really were, and now she had been pulled into the same orbit Kensuke was in around some of the most notable students in the school.

_Why - why - why?  
Love love love love love  
Insanity laughs under pressure we're breaking  
Can't we give ourselves one more chance  
Why can't we give love that one more chance  
Why can't we give love give love give love give love  
give love give love give love give love give love_

_'Cause love's such an old fashioned word  
And love dares you to care for_

_The people on the (People on streets) edge of the night  
And loves (People on streets) dares you to change our way of_

_Caring about ourselves  
This is our last dance  
This is our last dance  
This is ourselves_

_Under pressure  
Under pressure  
Pressure_

As Yuki climbed the stairs from the station, Rei's blue hair, Asuka's red hair, and Shinji's presence all registered at the top of the stairs as waiting for her. The very presence of the three of them almost over powered the existence of Hikari, Toji, and Kensuke. Yuki's thoughts were thrown off a bit realizing that of anyone in the school only Toji, Hikari, and Kensuke seemed to have the ability to not be over shadowed by their friends.

"Takeda-san! We're over here." waved a smiling Shinji. Of course, it would be Shinji to have seen her first and welcome her.

As the group assembled and the usual greetings were given, Yuki had a chance to view the dynamics of the group, up close. She noted that Shinji finally seemed comfortable in his situation – the sullen, lost look he used to wear was gone. He had been the subject of many conversations of groups of girls of all ages and cliques in the school ever since it had been leaked that he was an EVA pilot so many months ago. They had all found him cute, but his withdrawn nature had always been viewed as a challenge by some and a total turn off by others. Yuki also noted that Asuka's barbs were more playful and less scathing than in the past. Two things really stood out to Yuki, though. The first was Rei's transformation from recluse to active participant in life. Yuki, like everyone else at school, had observed and commented on Rei's previous behavior. It was like someone was playing an elaborate joke on the student body's psyche with Rei's changes. The second thing she noticed was that Toji and Hikari, while together, were showing signs of friction.

Kensuke had mentioned it, but Yuki had never been able to observe the new couple and could only listen sympathetically as Kensuke openly worried about his friend. But, the signs were there even in the conversations from the train station to the ticket booth and on into the theater. Hikari had expectations, right or wrong, that Toji didn't seem to care about; the little miscommunications that seemed to snowball into some bigger problem; and the forced cheerfulness that seemed to ring hollow around the genuine affection between Asuka and Shinji. Kensuke had mentioned that he hoped they could work it out, but he wasn't sure what the problem was. In fact, he was so worried about it that he'd asked Yuki to watch and provide her opinion and he'd let slip that he had already talked to Shinji about it. Yuki had been a bit taken aback by the request since she and Kensuke hadn't been going out that long, but she had been touched that he trusted her enough to talk to her about the important things in his life.

It was actually the middle of some movie that they all ended up in – a comedy of some sort – that she was able to take another look at the interaction of the group. Yuki was sitting next to Kensuke and was on the end of their group of friends. She took this moment to look past him and observe everyone else. Next came Toji and then Hikari, Toji was practically crying tears from laughter at the movie but had reached over to hold Hikari's hand. Hikari was obviously indulging Toji since she didn't really seem into the movie, but at the same time, Hikari seemed to have forgiven Toji his earlier remarks and was holding his hand in both of hers. Next to Hikari was Asuka and then Shinji, of course. They both seemed to be enjoying the movie but not the same extent as Toji, if such a thing was even possible. The two of them were like the definition of 'together' – holding hands, leaning on each other, silly every now and then. On the other end, next to her brother, was Rei. Periodically, the humor would confuse her and she'd lean over to ask Shinji to explain which in turn would cause Asuka to giggle harder. It really didn't seem possible that the fate of the world had been in the hands of these three teens. They had certainly changed a lot and moved closer to what would be called normal. But, they all seemed much older than their almost 15 years. Yuki pondered that a moment. They're life experiences were so much greater than everyone else, they just seemed more mature – almost like they were 15 going on 25.

Figuring that Kensuke would never really gather up the courage to hold her hand if he even thought of the idea, Yuki tentatively reached out and slid her hand into Kensuke's. She was rewarded with a blush that practically lit up the theater but also a warm pressure as his hand closed on hers. Turning back to the movie, Yuki tried to control her own blush and enjoy the remainder of the feature.

* * *

_After the Movie – Dessert Shop_

* * *

The group of friends had adjourned to their favorite dessert shop – dessert crepes being their thing – Shinji reflected that the last time any significant part of the group had been here, they had talked about potential band names. Conversation just seemed mostly random and the little relationship waves between Toji and Hikari had settled down since the movie.

"Shinji?" queried Asuka.

"Hmm?" replied the boy around the spoonful of whipped cream that had somehow entered his mouth as he had daydreamed about the past.

"Do you want the rest of my dessert? I'm full."

"Um, sure?"

Shinji then proceeded to dig into the remains of Asuka's dessert. Asuka and Rei watched him with amused interest. They had laughed about the fact that now that Shinji was getting regular exercise and that he seemed to be going through a growth spurt since he was now noticeably taller than either of them; his appetite resembled that of a bottomless pit compared to the almost bird-like amounts he had eaten previously. It was a good thing that they got a living expense stipend, now, because Shinji would have eaten them out of house and home on just Misato's salary.

Just as the last mouthful of crepe passed his lips, Shinji's cell began to demand attention. Flipping it open, a reminder popped up. Shinji quickly closed his cell and announced that he had to be going.

"What? Where? You didn't mention anything before," protested Asuka.

Sliding some money into Asuka's hand for his share, Shinji merely stood, "I just have something to take care of. I'll see you guys back at the apartment in a couple of hours."

With a quick kiss on the cheek to Asuka, Shinji was out the door before more protests could be made. The conversation around the table centered on Shinji's abrupt departure for a couple of minutes before Asuka stood up suddenly and declared that she was going to find out where he went. Oddly, Rei decided to stay put but didn't make any moves to delay Asuka.

As Asuka exited the dessert shop, she spotted Shinji up the street leaving a shop with a small bundle under his arm. Following him in the general direction of the train station, she noticed as she passed that the shop was a florist. A small frown crossed her face as she couldn't think of a reason for Shinji to be buying flowers, especially since he'd never bought _her_ flowers.

Asuka continued to follow Shinji at a discrete distance putting all of the surveillance training they had gotten from Section 2 into practice. The two of them wound their way through the city. As he sat on the train, Asuka noticed that Shinji was listening to the new music player she had bought him. That little thing made her feel a little relief that she was still connected to him in even the small ways and that he hadn't actually severed the ties to her. In fact, the little music player was a very significant step. He hadn't wanted a replacement and just wanted to fix his old player. It had been a huge part of his life for as long as she could remember, but he needed to move on. The fact he had accepted this new phase in his life was a big sign to Asuka that Shinji had started the process of moving on from his past and living in the present and for the future.

Shinji sat in the train seat lost in one of the new songs Asuka had loaded onto his player. Looking down at the display, it said "Fastball – Better Than It Was".

_Once I had it all planned out  
My dirty fingers moved about  
To make a mess of everything around me_

The new player marked a new phase in Shinji's life. His trusty SDAT had finally broken for the last time. Asuka, of course, would not even hear of repairing it – that last vestige of his old, clinically depressed ways. Instead, she told him to hold a proper burial for it. So, while he said his goodbyes over the electronics recycling can, Rei and Asuka had gone out shopping and bought him this new incarnation – no more tapes, downloadable music, video, and lots of other gizmos that he hadn't investigated. They had even pre-loaded it with his classical music and other songs that they both liked, probably so they could borrow it, he had suggested with a sly smile when they had presented him with his gift.

_I don't claim to know my way  
I still run in circles every day  
Running around half blind  
Life can be unkind_

They eventually ended up at a small cemetery on the outer edges of the city. Asuka, starting to guess at who was at this cemetery, halted behind a tree as Shinji slowed and knelt in front of two markers cleaning away some of the debris in front of them.

_But it's better than it was  
But it's better than it was  
I complain very little because  
It's better than it was_

Shinji first turned to the marker labeled 'Gendo Rokubungi'. When it was placed, Shinji was still very angry with his father and couldn't bear having his mother's name on the marker. No one had argued with him, but he could tell that Commander Fuyutski was disappointed in the decision. Lighting three incense sticks, he placed them with reverence in front of his father's marker and offered a prayer to his father's spirit. After a moment, he said in a soft voice, "Father, I've never understood why you did what you did, and I suppose I never really will. But, I've found some measure of happiness now and a little insight. I think I've finally forgiven you, but I'll never be able to forget."

_I get to remembering  
We had alot more money then  
To make a mess of everything around us_

Placing the flowers and three more incense sticks in front of the marker labeled 'Yui Ikari', Shinji knelt down and a more serene look crossed his face. "Hi, mom," he started with considerably more warmth and affection than the previous conversation. "A lot has happened since Third Impact. I know that you've finally been released from Unit-01, and hopefully, that has brought you a measure of peace. You'd be happy for me, mom. I found my sister, and I'm helping her adjust to life outside of NERV. We've all finally settled in as a family with Misato. Everything seems to be going fine. We're all doing pretty well in school. I know you don't mind that I call her 'mom' since she's taking care of us now, but I still get those strange twinges when I do. It's hard not to feel like she's trying to take your place. Mom, no one will ever take your place in my heart, but, I think Misato has created a new place in my heart for her, just like Asuka and Rei have."

_Now the money comes and goes a bit faster  
Than my confidence grows  
Everybody knows  
There ain't nothing new about money woes_

"Asuka and I are finally together, too. We have so much in common, mom. It's really scary sometimes. But, we try and get through it all together. I think you would have approved of her, maybe not at first, but once you got to know her. We've spent a lot of time since Third Impact talking and trying to work through our problems. We keep making progress and have grown up a lot."

_It's better than we ever could have  
Wished it to before_

_It was bad a while ago  
Better than this I know_

_It's better than it was_

"Lots of other things have been happening. I did get into a fight at school. It wasn't a big deal. Some bullies started it, but I defended myself. I do have an audition with the Tokyo-3 Philharmonic, but nothing definite yet."

Taking a deep breath as he stood, Shinji reached out to the marker. "I miss you, mom. I also wish father hadn't burned all the pictures because it's getting harder and harder to remember your face. I remember everything else – your touch, your smell, the warmth of your hand. Anyways, I'll come see you again, soon. I love you, mom."

Shinji put his hands in his pockets and took one last look at his mother's marker.

Without looking up, he raised his voice, "You can come out now, Asuka."

A bit crestfallen that Shinji had spotted her and more than a little ashamed at having intruded on this private time, Asuka had the decency to blush in embarrassment as she made her way to the young man gazing at the grave markers. Slipping her hand through his arm, "I'm sorry for intruding Shinji. I was worried . . . uh, well, it's complicated, what I was."

Turning to the young woman with a smile on his face, "It's alright. I didn't really leave with the most grace. It's just that I just wanted some time with mom and I didn't feel like explaining it to everyone at the table," Shinji reassured Asuka. "I'm glad you're here, though."

The young couple turned away from the markers and began making their way back to the train station looking far older than their nearly 15 years. Desperately wanting to fill the silence with something, Asuka broke first. "So, when did you notice me?"

"Not until we were almost here. I caught a glimpse of you on the bus. Your hair was a dead give away."

"Yeah. I didn't know when the next bus was, so I had to take the chance. You know that the counter-surveillance team would be disappointed that you didn't notice me until so late in the game."

"Sure, but you're pretty good at the game - better than most of our instructors, now."

"Shinji, you say the sweetest things," beamed Asuka.

Shinji merely replied with a smile. These syrupy sweet conversations no longer frightened or sickened him the way they had when he'd seen them in the movies. He was, truth be told, starting to see them more as fun and, too a certain extent, cute. Besides, at his core, Shinji could never lie to Asuka, and everything that he said was what he believed.

As they sat on the first train, Asuka again broke the silence. "So, you're really not mad at me for following you?"

"Not really. It's probably my fault to begin with for not telling you when you asked, but you do need to trust me a little more."

"Trust a baka like you?" teased Asuka who was inwardly pleased at being forgiven. "How can I trust you when you can't even get up on time?"

"Because you love me?" replied Shinji with a sly little smile.

All his smile earned him was a playful punch to the shoulder before Asuka gave up on that part of the conversation. Changing subjects, "Shinji, why didn't you bring Rei? I'm sure she would have wanted to pay her respects to your mom."

"Actually, I had asked her the other day. At first, she said she didn't want to intrude on my time to reflect. But, it was pretty obvious that wasn't the whole story. So, when I poked her about it, she finally admitted that she was just now getting used to having a mom in Misato, and that she wasn't sure she could deal with having a dead mother as well. But, I think the real big deal was that my father's marker is there also. I don't think Rei has forgiven him, yet."

"That makes sense. I don't blame her for not forgiving your father. I hated him for lots of reasons – both legitimate and petty. I don't think I've forgiven him for what he did to us, all three of us, either."

"Yeah . . . I guess I'm just motivated differently on that. I think my mom would have wanted me to forgive him so I could move on," seeing the disapproving look on Asuka's face, Shinji moved to explain further. "Asuka, forgiving is not forgetting. I'll never forget what he did and how much pain he caused, but I think my mom would want me to move on to better things – like us, like Rei, like Misato – if I was locked into a cycle of negative thinking about my father."

"I suppose . . . " further comments were broken by the angry squeals of both of their phones. It was a very specific ring tone that signified a priority message from NERV command. Popping open his phone, Shinji showed Asuka the message:

**Alert Code Thimble. All personnel report to NERV.**

"Thimble?" whispered Shinji to Asuka.

"Terror alert. T for terror, so Thimble for the letter T. You should call Misato. I'll call Rei."

With that, the teens pulled started dialing as Shinji looked for the appropriate connection to take them to NERV.

* * *

**Author's Parting Shots**: Yay, over 50k words. Who'd a thunk it? Anyways, thanks to the readers and reviewers for coming on this little journey. No end in sight to the fun and frivolity!

Some explanations – I thought it would be interesting to view the interactions between our favorite clique from an involved third party's point of view, so we got to do that this time. For the Hikari/Toji fans, right now I don't have any plans on breaking them up, but decided that as the two teens, in my view, closest to 'normal', I wanted them to have some normal problems.


	16. All For You The Unforgiven

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 15: All For You The Unforgiven**

* * *

_Saturday Afternoon – NERV Command Center_

* * *

Lots of people were milling around the Command Center waiting for the mission briefing to start. Newly promoted Captain Maya Ibuki was there as head of research and medical support. Newly promoted Captain Makoto Hyuuga was there in his new role as Intelligence Operations Officer where he was basically in charge of Section 2. Newly promoted Captain Shigeru Aoba was there as the combat commander. As the base transitioned away from the Angel Wars into a regional research and operations center, everyone was assuming new roles and responsibilities. 

The assault team section commanders were there in support of Aoba. The lead intelligence operative was there in support of Hyuuga. The three former pilots were there in support of . . . well, everyone. Their roles in this mission had yet to be discussed and were probably only clear in Misato's mind - the very mind everyone was waiting to arrive so the briefing could start.

For their part, Rei, Asuka, and Shinji stood off to the side in camouflage fatigues – the uniform of the day. They were, for the most part, glad that they no longer had to wander around in plug suits but the concepts of "uniform of the day" and "military appearance" grated on them – Shinji most of all. He had griped to Asuka at one point that he didn't need another uniform and that there was no way he was getting a hair cut. He had added that why couldn't he just where his school uniform if they really needed him to where some sort of uniform. Her only response was that while the hair length might slide, he should just be a man and shut up about the clothes. More to the point, she had told him to pick his battles. Seeing that he had grudgingly accepted wearing a uniform, she softened the blow by telling him that he looked cute in it and that every girl likes a man in uniform triggering yet another cute conversation that caused Rei to shake her head in disgust and flee the locker room.

The wait was short lived as Misato made her entrance and took her seat. With a quick nod of approval from Misato, Aoba began the mission briefing.

"As you are all well aware, there have been a number of ultra-nationalist organizations that have begun agitation as the world moves towards a more unified government, Post-3I, and this agitation has included terrorist acts meant to destabilize nations around the globe. We have received verified intelligence that one of the most virulent groups in Japan – Warriors of the Rising Sun – is holding a summit of its top leadership and some other groups within the next couple of hours at this site near us. This group and some of its affiliates have staged bombings, kidnappings, and murders designed to destabilize the relationship with the UN and finance further activities. They desire a military solution to a political issue, so we will provide them a military solution."

A satellite image filled the main screen behind Aoba while the side screens contained grainy photographs of the known members to be present along with some blank silhouettes for unknowns.

"The Mission Objective is to assault the location where the meeting is taking place and kill or capture all attendees. Capture is at the discretion of the assault team commanders based on the tactical situation. Team safety and threat elimination are the priorities. You can see on auxiliary screen two a wireframe of the building in which they are meeting. This information will be passed on to you to allow for assault planning."

Seeing the head nods from the assault team leaders, Aoba continued on, "In a departure from doctrine, we are deploying three person sniper blockade elements along the only possible egress routes given the terrain. This departure from the traditional doctrine of sniper and spotter is driven by the fact that the two man team does not provide enough backstop security to slow a concerted escape effort of targets with vehicles and allow the assault group to re-engage. Therefore, a third person for security armed with a paratrooper M249 squad automatic weapon will be added."

"Locations are noted on image above. In addition, this key egress point on the only road to the site," Aoba indicated a highlighted sniper team, "will have a special sniper team consisting of Captains Ayanami, Soryu, and Ikari. Because you are essentially providing a roadblock, Captain Ayanami, you will be provided a higher power M24 sniper system to allow you to incapacitate thin skinned civilian vehicles. Captain Ikari, you are element security. Captain Soryu, you will have tactical command of the element."

Shinji listened to the rest of the briefing with only half an ear as Aoba went over transportation, call signs, timelines, and other mission essentials and wrote specifics on a notepad, but the majority of his mind was reviewing his training and trying to stay calm in the face of his first mission. The same "stage fright" jitters he had gotten were starting up again as his subconscious anticipated his return to combat operations. Only his proximity to Asuka kept everything in check.

"Excuse me, Captain," interrupted Asuka in a surprisingly professional voice.

"Go ahead, Captain Soryu.

"If we're going to be taking on vehicles, why are we not taking the heavier Barrett-based sniper system?"

"A couple of reasons: First, Captain Ayanami has not sufficiently trained on that system. Second, the system weight and recoil is excessive for your team. Third, your team may be engaging soft targets such as personnel where the higher rate of fire of a lighter system is more advantageous. Finally, the modified system we will provide has 85 of the effectiveness of the system you refer to against armored targets based on changes to the ammunition."

"Thank you, Captain."

The group of people familiar with Asuka's past behavior sat in quiet amazement. She had raised a concern in a very professional manner and not lashed out at having been told that there was more information in the decision. The only ones not surprised were Shinji, Rei, and Misato who had been intimately involved in the progress Asuka had made over the last weeks.

Aoba's part of the briefing over, Misato stood. "Alright, element and team planning and preparations begin now with embarkation onto transport in 30 minutes. Get it done, people."

* * *

_Laertes Element – Outskirts of Tokyo-3_

* * *

Shinji lay concealed in some scrub about 10 meters from his sister and girlfriend. The automatic weapon was on its bipod in front of him giving him command of a 200 meter stretch of the road. Asuka and Rei were up a slight rise from him where Asuka was acting as Rei's spotter and had linked them together in a unit specific radio net as well as on the general frequency. Everyone was observing radio silence, but Shinji had a song running unbidden through his head. It was a hard rock song Asuka had given him from a 20th Century American band called Metallica. His subconscious had dredged up the song, "Unforgiven", and he couldn't seem to get the lyrics out of his head. 

_New blood joins this earth  
And quickly he's subdued  
Through constant pained disgrace  
The young boy learns their rules_

With combat helmets on and face shields down, it was a quiet and lonely ride in the transports to their landing zone. Only the warmth of Asuka's hand had kept Shinji's nerves in check. Given the periodic trembling of her hand in his, Shinji suspected he had the same effect on Asuka in her first tactical command. The excitement of combat had given way to the dull ache of dread. The final march to their concealment spots had also been done in silence. The only communication was hand signals. The weight on Shinji's back of ammunition, first aid kit, and water seemed to weigh many times what it had in the past.

_With time, the child draws in  
This whipping boy done wrong  
Deprived of all his thoughts  
The young man struggles on and on, he's known  
A vow unto his own  
That never from this day  
His will they'll take away_

"Status Check," cracked Misato's voice over the general frequency.

"Hamlet," responded the assault team commander with his element name indicating his team's readiness.

"Othello." Sniper element one on the opposite side of the building.

"Macbeth." Sniper element to their right.

"Lear." Sniper Element to their left.

"Laertes," came Asuka's voice indicating the they were in position, concealed, and ready to initiate the roadblock.

"Nightingale." Medical evacuation and flight transport indicating engines running about 5 flight minutes away.

_What I've felt  
What I've known  
Never shined through in what I've shown  
Never be  
Never see  
Won't see what might have been_

Misato was observing through satellite observation and other surveillance means not disclosed to the general populace. She had overall control of the operation but was about to relinquish tactical initiative to the assault team commander. A part of her hated the fact that she had to put her young charges in harm's way yet again after all they had sacrificed and done. In particular, she was worried about Shinji. Of the three of them, he had the thinnest mental armor for combat and the least amount of training since Rei and Asuka had practically been raised as combatants if not soldiers. The mother in her hoped that none of them would have to pull a trigger.

"Hamlet, you have control," came Misato's emotionless voice.

"Roger, Hamlet has control. Stand by . . . Ready . . . GO, GO, GO!"

_What I've felt  
What I've known  
Never shined through in what I've shown  
Never free  
Never me  
So I dub thee "Unforgiven"_

Shinji listened to the radio chatter as the assault team hit the building. His musician's ears noted the dull thumps of the flash bangs; the whispered breaths of the silenced weapons of the assault teams; the staccato reports of terrorist weapons; and the screams – those terrible screams of fear and pain. A glance at Asuka and Rei showed the two of them wide-eyed at the sounds of violence coming in over the radio and Shinji had the bitter taste of bile in his mouth that his sister and his love had to be exposed to this debasement.

"They're running for the cars. All stations we have individuals breaking for the two vehicles."

"Macbeth copies."

"Lear copies."

"Laertes copies."

"Lear has them in sight. Engaging . . . no clear shot. Laertes, they're coming to you."

"Roger."

Aoba turned and glanced at Misato. She had sharply inhaled and began to quietly curse at the turn of events.

Shinji settled in behind his weapon vaguely aware that Rei and Asuka had done the same. Just as in the fight with the bullies, everything had begun to slow down for him and a strange calm washed over his mind.

_They dedicate their lives  
To running all of his  
He tries to please them all  
This bitter man he is  
Throughout his life the same_

_He's battled constantly  
This fight he cannot win  
A tired man they see no longer cares  
The old man then prepares  
To die regretfully  
That old man here is me_

As the cars came into view, Rei's first shot rang out. It hit the engine compartment of the lead car and must have caused the engine to seize because the car began to abruptly slow only to be rear ended by the trailing car. Suddenly, Rei's voice rang out, "Stoppage! Stoppage!"

By this time, Shinji had opened up with the automatic weapon. He had blown out the tires on the cars and was methodically putting bursts into the huge silhouettes of the cars, ripping up the sheet metal. Over the top of the weapon, he said into his microphone, "Rei, Asuka, fall back to the secondary firing point! I have them under fire. Fall back!"

Shinji continued to rip into the cars with automatic fire. In the slow motion of the situation, he methodically moved from target to target making lightning tactical decisions to cut off the movement of the targets with bursts from his weapon and then dropping them. A part of his mind acknowledged that the target silhouettes falling in the shadows were actually people, but he had focused on the task of making sure the threat to his loved ones was gone. His weapon paused briefly as he quickly changed out the magazine and resumed firing.

"Macbeth flanking vehicles, press," crackled over the unit channel. Shinji's brain caught Asuka's acknowledgement of the communication indicating that the other sniper element was moving to add its fire to Shinji's from a flanking position and that Asuka's element should continue to press the attack.

Return fire was sporadically impacting around Shinji's position as the few remaining terrorists began to recover from the surprise of the ambush. The first shooter was silenced by another round from Rei firing from her secondary position. Just then, Macbeth's automatic weapon tore through ambush site opening a new window into Hell for the remaining terrorists.

_What I've felt  
What I've known  
Never shined through in what I've shown  
Never be  
Never see  
Won't see what might have been_

_What I've felt  
What I've known  
Never shined through in what I've shown  
Never free  
Never me  
So I dub thee "Unforgiven"_

" . . . ase fire! Shinji, cease fire!" penetrated Shinji's brain. He let up on the last burst just as the 'dead man's click' came from his weapon. As the silence washed over him and the stink of cordite from the nearly 400 rounds he had just fired registered on his nose. The smell shook him, and he became aware of the rest of the radio chatter.

"This is Nightingale. I am two mikes from the facility. Are you ready with the packages Hamlet?"

"Affirmative."

"Laertes, Lear. We are ready to sweep the cars with Macbeth. Othello and Hamlet have secured the facility."

"Laertes copies. You are clear to sweep the cars."

"Shinji?" queried Asuka the worry in her voice was in sharp contrast to the calm, flat voice she had just used that was typical of most military radio communication.

"I'm ok. Let me change out the magazine and then I'll come back to you."

"Ok."

The task was quickly accomplished and Shinji cautiously stood to make his way back to the girls.

_You labeled me  
I'll label you  
So I dub thee "Unforgiven"_

Shinji announced his arrival before coming through the brush. He didn't want either Asuka or Rei to accidentally shoot him. A worried Asuka ran up to him to give him a bone crushing hug, "Baka, you had me worried."

Her hug was then augmented by Rei's equally crushing grip as the three teens shared the relief of having survived their first counter-terrorism action.

* * *

_Several Hours Later – NERV Break Room_

* * *

Rei and Shinji were sitting at one of the tables waiting for Asuka and Misato to finish with the commander's debriefing. The full teams had already gone through the "After Action" but the element leads and the command staff had been required to stay for some additional discussion. The remnants of some snacks surrounded Shinji as he idly swirled his drink, staring into space. The small radio that had been donated by Shigeru as he upgraded his stereo softly played Sister Hazel's "All For You" in the background. 

_Finally I figured out,  
But it took a long long time  
Now there's a turnabout,  
Maybe cause I'm tryin'  
There's been times, I'm so confused  
Down my road, will it lead to you?  
Just can't turn and walk away_

Rei moved to get Shinji's attention.

"Shinji-kun?"

"Hmm?" was the distracted response as Shinji took another swallow of his drink.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Shinji turned his full attention to his sister.

"How do I know if a boy likes me?"

_It's hard to say what it is I see in you  
Wonder if I'll always be with you  
Words can't say it, I can't do  
Enough to prove, it's all for you_

Shinji choked on his drink but, miraculously, did not spray it all over his sister. Once he was able to breathe air and not orange soda, he took a long appraising look at his sister who was waiting patiently with a look of complete innocence on her face. Having gathered his thoughts and rallied his neurons to a coherent answer, Shinji began, "Well, you'll see them glancing at you and being nervous around you. They'll probably even look away when you look at them if they're shy. They may also blush when you look at them like they've been caught doing something they shouldn't be doing."

_And I'd thought I seen it all,  
Cause it's been a long long time  
Oh bothered that we'll trip and fall,  
Wonderin' if I'm alive_

_There's been times, I'm so confused  
Down my road, will it lead to you?  
I just can't turn, you walk away_

Rei thought about this for a moment. "But, everyone looks at me. I'm not exactly average in appearance."

Shinji's higher brain functions were having trouble keeping up. This was not a conversation he had really ever contemplated having with his sister. The only reason he was still in the game was the realization that he was family, and she was serious about her question. "True. But, it's not staring at you just because you're unusual. It's watching to learn a little about what you're doing to try and understand who you are."

"Like the way you watch Asuka-chan?"

"Uh . . . I guess so."

_Its hard to say what it is I see in you  
Wonder if I'll always be with you  
Words can't say, and I can't do  
Enough to prove it's all for you  
Rain comes pourin' down,_

_Fallin' from blue skies  
Words give out a sound,  
comin' from your eyes_

"But, what about the nervousness? All the boys are nervous because they're afraid of you."

"Afraid of me?"

"Shinji-kun, after what you said at the dance and the beating you put on those bullies, there isn't a nice boy in the school who wants to get on your bad side by making an unwanted advance."

"I suppose . . . "

"So, how am supposed to tell?"

"Well, this is kind of what Doctor Akagi tried to explain to me. You'll never know for sure, so you have to risk the potential pain given the uncertainty against the potential rewards. I guess what I'm saying is that given everything you just told me, you're just going to have to risk asking a boy you're interested in out on a date with the possibility of getting rejected."

Rei just stared at her brother while she thought about what he just said.

_Finally I figured out,  
But it took a long long time  
Oh now there's a turnabout,  
Maybe cause I'm tryin'  
There's been times, I'm so confused  
Down my road, will it lead to you?  
Just can't turn, you walk away_

Shinji continued on, "Now, based on what I've heard so far in the Kensuke and Toji grapevine into the other students, I doubt you'll get rejected. You just have to pick a boy you think you like and trust. So, do you have a boy in mind already?"

Rei just blushed and, just as with Asuka, had a sudden attack of shyness and dropped her eyes. However, she did give a little nod.

"Ok. And, is there something in particular you want to take this boy to?"

Again, Shinji received the little nod from his sister but he noticed that she was fidgeting with her hands in her lap.

_Its hard to say what it is I see in you  
Wonder if I'll always be with you  
Words can't say, I can't do  
Enough to prove it's all for you_

"Is there something else that you want to add?"

Shinji had to wait a few moments while Rei gathered herself to actually answer. "I wanted to ask this boy to take me to the concert that my favorite band is opening, but I don't want to go alone. I was wondering if you and Asuka would come with me, but I also know this would make the boy very nervous. I just don't know what to do."

For a brief moment, Shinji marveled at the twists and turns his life had taken to suddenly be sitting in front of Rei as her big brother, giving her advice on boys, and being asked if he and Asuka would double date with her. Those thoughts sank back into his subconscious as fast as trout swim away when released.

_Well it's hard to say what it is I see in you  
Wonder if I'll always be with you  
Words can't say, I can't do  
Enough to prove, it's all for you  
Hard to say  
Hard to say, it's all for you_

"Well, I'm sure Asuka would agree that we'd be happy to go with you to make you feel more comfortable. We'd also give you enough space to not be too intimidating to your date. Besides, this boy would eventually have to get comfortable with us anyways. You might as well through him into the deep end of the pool to see if he can swim."

All further discussion came to an abrupt end as Misato and Asuka burst into the room from their meeting. With little ceremony, Asuka sat down next to Shinji, dropped her head to his shoulder, and let out a tired sigh. Misato had grabbed coffee and was contemplating the remainder with tired eyes. Shinji, without thinking, began to rub Asuka's back as he took all of this in.

"It looks like we're all just beat. How about we head home and I make us something?" offered Shinji.

"That would be wonderful, Shinji. Let me grab my keys and we'll head out," replied Misato as she moved to head up the hall to her office.

"The fact that you can cook makes up for your _baka_-ness," came the tired teasing from Asuka.

"Did the after action not go well?" queried Shinji in a quiet voice.

"It went fine. It's just that they dissect everything to the nth degree and it just gets very tedious. It made me want to scream, but I couldn't embarrass Misato like that. The only interesting thing that came out of the hour and a half after you guys were allowed to leave was that interrogations have started on the prisoners the assault team was able to capture."

"Let's get everyone home, then," declared a suddenly decisive Shinji.

Meanwhile, a few levels away, in a bright, sterile room, an interrogator was coaxing some interesting opinions from a captured terrorist. In a room down the hall, Hyuuga's eyes began to widen as his intelligence analysts explained their preliminary findings from the treasure trove of data captured from the facility. It all pointed to a major security breach with the identities of Rei, Shinji, and Asuka as the EVA Pilots becoming very public knowledge.

-

-

* * *

**Author's Parting Shots**: The combat is adapted from what happened to a friend of mine in Special Forces, so it's not complete fabrication. He had put a shot from his Remington 700 into a car's engine block causing it to seize up after which his spotter shredded the car with a squad automatic weapon. 

And I promise that I will close off some of the other story arcs before introducing too many more. Hopefully, you didn't see the fingers crossed behind my back.


	17. Lights on the Ball and Chain

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 16: Lights on the Ball and Chain **

* * *

_Sunday – Office Shared By Ikari, Soryu, and Ayanami_

* * *

Like many organizations, NERV ran on paperwork. Like many military organizations, nothing was considered 'done' inside of NERV until enough paper had been sacrificed on the alter of documentation to demonstrate the effectiveness of the people. Like many research organizations, NERV circulated paperwork like people circulated blood. Given their new military status, Shinji, Asuka, and Rei were not exempt from the need to file reports, review reports, and other such administrative tasks. They were currently in their cramped little office where their desks faced the wall were within arm's reach of each other. Misato had declared that they had to give up this Sunday to do their monthly paper penance. The difference was that Shinji had snuck in some speakers and having kicked the door closed, his computer was rocking forth Social Distortion's "Ball and Chain" as a statement on their situation. 

_Well it's been ten years, and a thousand tears  
And look at the mess I'm in-  
A broken nose and a broken heart,  
An empty bottle of gin_

_Well I sit and I pray  
In my broken down Chevrolet-  
While I'm singin' to myself  
There's got to be another way_

Rei and Asuka had laughed as the tune burst out of the speakers. The last time they had listened to this together, they had all been working on another of those dreary Second Impact history reports. Rei's head began bobbing up and down in time to the music as she filled out a "Precision Ammunition Expenditure Report" for the previous day. Asuka was practically dancing in her chair as she filled out her "Element Leader Report on Mission". Shinji merely smiled at his office mates as he slogged away at the monthly research report for Maya – it being his turn on the rotation. As the chorus came up, all work stopped, and as was their tradition, the three teens stood up and sang the chorus at the top of their lungs in their small office.

_Take away, take away  
Take away this ball and chain  
I'm lonely and I'm tired  
And I can't take any more pain_

_Take away, take away  
Never to return again  
Take away, take away  
Take away this ball and chain_

They sat back down and started their race – which could finish their report by the end of the song with the rule that they all had to stand and sing during the chorus. It was going to be close. Rei had the shortest report but it required the most references. Asuka was trying to paraphrase much of what she said in the Commander's After Action from the previous day. Shinji had gotten a head start from Maya who had sent him some key things that she had wanted in the report.

_Well I've searched and I've searched  
To find the perfect life-  
A brand new car and a brand new suit  
I even got me a little wife-_

_But wherever I have gone  
I was sure to find myself there-  
You can run all your life  
But not go anywhere_

As they stood to sing the next chorus, Rei got a wadded up piece of paper to the head from Asuka on being a little late to stand up. Rei's tactical response was to stick her tongue out at her brother's girlfriend mimicking the style little sisters have used since dating began that communicated the most intense, sophomoric intentions with a sublime undertone of "I don't know what my brother sees in you." This was, of course, greeted by laughter and the appropriate hand gesture not found in official infantry manuals.

_Take away, take away  
Take away this ball and chain  
I'm lonely and I'm tired  
And I can't take any more pain_

_Take away, take away  
Never to return again  
Take away, take away  
Take away this ball and chain_

They made the mad dash back to their keyboards as the last notes of the chorus faded away. It was going to be close. Shinji was the most precise in his typing – nearly error free – but was correspondingly slow. Asuka was at the other end of the spectrum – a blazingly fast typist, but that advantage was lost in the constant corrections she had to perform. Rei landed somewhere near the middle. In a break with tradition, Asuka began singing the next stanza to try and distract Rei and Shinji.

_Well I'll pass the bar on the way  
To my dingy hotel room-  
I spent all my money  
Been drinkin' since a half past noon-  
I'll wake there in the mornin'  
Or maybe in the county jail-  
Times are hard getting harder_

It was a photo finish, Shinji edged out Rei and Asuka had gotten too caught up in singing to keep up. As they all hit "send" on their reports, Shinji cranked up the volume to nearly deafening levels in the confined space as they pushed their chairs in and began dancing in the limited space of their office and practically screaming the final chorus.

_Take away, take away  
Take away this ball and chain  
I'm lonely and I'm tired  
And I can't take any more pain_

_Take away, take away  
Never to return again  
Take away, take away  
Take away this ball and chain_

As the song ended, Rei collapsed back into her chair laughing hysterically with the relief of being done and the almost surreal scene of the three teens singing such a rebellious song in the heart of the NERV complex. Shinji had grabbed Asuka around the waist as they had been dancing and now lifted her an inch or two off the floor to swing her around and give her a big kiss. Of course, she responded by tightening her grip on the back of his head. This tableau was broken by the applause from Misato who had come down the hall to see what all the commotion was about, among other things.

Shinji sheepishly released Asuka who pretended not to notice Misato and merely straightened out her uniform. Rei was trying in vain to hold her sides which were hurting from the laughter and wipe away the tears from the laughter at the same time. Misato looked at her charges shaking her head – glad that they were starting to act like normal teens, but sad that it was always so fleeting.

"So, I take it the paperwork is done?" began Misato.

General affirmatives from the three teens rattled in.

"Can we go now?" asked Asuka. She had gotten a series of voice mails and text messages from Hikari. They had all been relatively cryptic but did indicate some urgency. Asuka was worried about her friend since the only reason Hikari would be cryptic would be if she was worried Shinji might see or hear the message. And, the only reason Hikari would be worried about Shinji was if the subject of the presumed distress was Toji.

Misato raised an eyebrow at Asuka but chose to venture on, "Actually, that's what I came down here to talk to you about. We have a short meeting to talk about the intelligence finds from yesterday. I think you can go home after that, but it'll depend on what Makoto brings up. It starts in fifteen minutes in the main conference room."

As Misato buzzed out with a short wave to accomplish her own tasks prior to the meeting, the three teens looked at each other and thought _'Makoto?'_

* * *

_NERV Main Conference Room_

* * *

The three teens took seats around the conference table. In addition to Misato, Maya, Shigeru, and Makoto were also present along with someone who was introduced as the lead interrogator who worked for Makoto. He seemed like a pleasant man totally at odds with the interrogator stereotype. With the door closed and the room secure, Makoto stood and took his place at the front of the room as the lights dimmed and scans of various documents started to appear on the screens. 

"Afternoon, everyone. I'll just jump right in. We discovered a great deal of information at the site raided yesterday. In fact, this information confirms much of the intelligence we've been receiving over the last couple of weeks and the ongoing interrogations also point this way. This group and others affiliated with it have learned the identities of Rei, Shinji, and Asuka as the EVA pilots and they have a rudimentary understanding of the goals of third impact from the SEELE point of view – the evolution of mankind."

Having dropped this bomb shell, Makoto waited to allow the storm of verbal abuse crash on him like a wave and then recede so he could continue. Oddly enough, it didn't appear. The three teens in question took it all in with a certain, stoic resolve. A bit unnerved by this Makoto was momentarily at a loss providing Shinji the opportunity to ask his question.

"Before we talk about the ramifications, how did they obtain this information?"

Makoto cleared his throat. He had anticipated this question and had been hounding his people about it for the last couple of hours. "It appears that the SEELE files were not as secure as they had hoped or that we conjectured. We know of at least one hacker that has been into those files before they were isolated. If your question is more along the lines of 'how do we know our other pieces of information are safe?' my answer is that we don't. We do have better electronic security here compared to the other regional centers thanks to Dr. Akagi and Maya, but nothing is ever perfect."

Shinji merely leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, contemplating the answer as Makoto moved on to continue his explanation. Shinji, Asuka, and Rei all knew that their identities were an open secret within Tokyo-3. Even their friends knew their roles. But, the popular media had largely left them alone. There were definitely going to be changes coming in the future.

"Now, signal intelligence on this group had mentioned Emperor, Shogun, and Kami extensively. We had originally assumed that they were referring to members of their group in code. Our recent discovery is that they were really referring to Shinji, Asuka, and Rei, respectively."

Bedlam ensued. Confused shouting dominated the table. Misato was only able to restore order after Shinji had been able to calm both Rei and Asuka. Makoto moved out from behind the lectern that he had taken refuge behind.

"It seems that they view Shinji as Emperor based on his role in Third Impact. More specifically, he is considered the heir to the title "Son of Heaven" and they aim to force him to ascend the throne of Japan and lead Japan to world prominence and defend the realm against the UN. They are apparently aware of the relationship between Asuka and Shinji, but they view Asuka as the warrior arm of the Empire after her battle with the MP EVAs. Rei's position as the spiritual force of the trio is based on her role as the primary conduit for Lilith during Third Impact. As you can tell, what we originally thought of as purely a radical political movement is actually more of a religious movement with political ambitions."

"This just keeps getting better and better," muttered Asuka. "So, drop the other shoe Makoto. There's something else isn't there?" she continued in a normal voice.

Taking a deep breath, Makoto continued, "In fact, there seems to be a loose network of these organizations. It appears that most of the nationalist movements are actually centered on this central theme. Your identities have been circulated in the last 48 hours on various web sites, and you are now at a significantly higher kidnapping risk than you were before. They want to use you three as symbols and rallying points to achieve domination."

"So, what's the plan? You wouldn't have just dragged us in here without a plan," fumed Asuka.

"Our initial thoughts are that these people are easily manipulated through the three of you, but that will be tricky, especially, if we use the popular media. We wouldn't want to create a negative backlash that would cause them to think that they needed to eliminate you. So, we're going to investigate that using some of the prisoners we have already captured. Also, we can increase the security detail around you to continue to protect you, but the onus will be on the three of you to make sure that we know your itineraries. We'll also have to expand the protective surveillance to your friends. They are aware of Toji, Kensuke, and Hikari and may try to manipulate or coerce the three of you through them."

Clearing his throat, Makoto continued with the hard part, "But, right now, we need Shinji to help us."

Shinji snapped out of his internal thoughts to look questioningly at Makoto. Asuka and Rei, startled at the need for Shinji to do anything, merely stared daggers at Makoto. They shared the same thought – weren't they the victims in this drama and hadn't they already done enough?

"Shinji, this is Mr. Nobu. He's our lead interrogator. He'll explain what he wants to try."

"Thank you, Captain. Shinji, we have one of the command staff of this group in custody and have been trying to interrogate him. To be honest, he's proven very resistant to our techniques, and our experience is that interrogation under drugs has proven unreliable. We'd like to have you present as we to interrogate him based on your standing in their thought structure. We need to understand their organization and how deep this goes."

"What would be involved?"

"Primarily, a lot of listening and maybe asking some guiding questions. It really depends on how this gambit works."

Shinji sat in thought, aware of the stares he was receiving in addition to the worried looks from Asuka, Rei, and Misato. His mind eventually turned on a central truth to this situation – his loved ones still depended on him for safety just as he depended on them. This crystalline fact meant that he had to at least try.

"Ok."

"Shinji, are you sure?" prompted Asuka having taken hold of his hand.

"Can you guys give us some privacy?" announced Shinji, looking around the room.

As everyone filed out since the meeting was essentially over, Makoto and Mr. Nobu indicated that Shinji should come down to interrogation when he was ready.

Alone now, Shinji pulled Asuka close.

"Asuka-chan, I'm sure."

"How can you be so sure about this?"

"Because, it's really very simple. I want to do what I can to make sure we're all safe."

Asuka looked at the young man in front of her and noticed how he had begun to grow strong. But realizing that there were dangers in his new strength of character, Asuka raised a hand to caress Shinji's cheek. "Baka-kun, just remember that you don't have to do this by yourself. This is not your burden alone. We're all in this."

"I know. That's all that keeps me from running away. You're all here with me, and I don't have to face this alone."

"Shinji," commanded Asuka as she locked his eyes with hers. "Do not let them make you into something else. You're _MY_ baka, and I _don't_ share."

"Yes, dear," replied a sheepish Shinji.

"Shinji, I'm serious," replied Asuka without releasing his eyes. "I don't like this, and I want you to be cautious. I love the Shinji that I have. I want to grow with this Shinji. I don't want to have you come back as something wildly different or broken after they throw you away because they're done with you. I'm sorry to say it this way, but don't let them manipulate you the way we were manipulated in the past by your father and SEELE."

Surprisingly, Shinji only had a small flinch at the mention of his father. Something in him could sense the rightness of Asuka's words. He also heard her underlying distrust of the people in charge. "I'll always be your Shinji. I promise I'll be careful. I don't trust them to have my best interests at heart, either. Only you, Rei, and Misato really do."

Pulling him into a tight hug and trembling with the effort of having to voice her fears – an experience that was slowly getting easier with Shinji – Asuka said almost to herself, "Will we ever be able to have something approaching a normal life?"

Burying his face in Asuka's hair, he reveled in the most important thing in his life. "We just have to seize our chances. I don't think our lives will ever really be normal. Besides, wouldn't you be bored being normal?"

"Yeah," Asuka agreed with a sigh. "But, sometimes I just want the roller coaster to pull into the station for a little while so I can catch my breath."

The two of them sat there a few minutes longer trying to build a quiet place in the chaos and prepare themselves for the challenges to come. It was Asuka who spoke first.

"We should probably get going. The perverts will probably be jumping to conclusions if we stay in here much longer." She stood pulling Shinji up with her. Asuka gave him a sound kiss before straightening his uniform blouse. "Let's go."

Grabbing his hand, she led him out into the hallway where Rei and Misato were waiting.

"Ok?" queried Rei looking at Asuka while Misato watched Shinji.

"Ok," responded Asuka with a quick nod from Shinji.

"We're all going down to interrogation with you," declared Misato in her 'don't argue with me voice'.

* * *

_Later – Interrogation_

* * *

Shinji was busy doing what Mr. Nobu had suggested – building his mental armor for the upcoming interrogation. Unknown to Mr. Nobu, Shinji actually was doing it in a rather unique way. He was drawing on his martial arts training and focusing on centering himself. He was creating at his center the agreed upon role he was to play. Part of assuming a role was bearing, and he was methodically straightening his uniform and his posture to complete the image of Emperor. 

As his teacher had told him, "I have no strategy. I allow the quick mind to be my strategy."

Looking at Rei, Misato, and Asuka in turn, he nodded his readiness. The three women adjourned to the observation room while Shinji took a deep breath before going to meet Mr. Nobu in the hallway outside the interrogation room.

Asuka watched the terrorist in his little room as Shinji prepared to make his entrance as the Son of Heaven, and Santana's "Put Your Lights On" seemed to invade her consciousness. She could even picture Shinji playing and singing. The dark mood and melancholy of the song fit her present state perfectly. In fact, the implied messages of the song matched her fears and hopes, as well.

_Hey now, all you sinners  
Put your lights on,  
put your lights on  
Hey now, all you lovers  
Put your lights on,  
put your lights on_

The door to the interrogation room and Nobu and Shinji made their entrance with Shinji exuding Imperial presence that could be felt even behind the one way mirror. A little part of Asuka smirked that he appeared to be 'working the stage' the way she had taught him. She also noted how the terrorist was startled at Shinji's arrival and looked distraught that he could not bow properly while handcuffed to the steel chair he was seated in. It seemed that the plan was working.

_Hey now, all you killers  
Put your lights on,  
put your lights on  
Hey now, all you children  
Leave your lights on you better  
leave your lights on_

Off to the side in the observation room, a technician monitored the subject via the sophisticated sensors embedded in the chair and around the room. He quietly communicated the information into a small ear piece worn by Nobu. Shinji had flatly refused it at first not wanting to be inundated with some technician's babble about pulse rates and galvanic skin response, but had acquiesced when it was agreed that Asuka would be the only one allowed to communicate with him.

The interrogation was at the trust building stage. Nobu quietly tried to converse with the terrorist, but Shinji maintained the Imperial bearing and provided interest but distance in his cool observation of the man – a man who had yet to admit his name.

Shinji, having been a reserved boy, was actually a fairly keen observer of people, and this man in front of him was involuntarily allowing Shinji to build a mental model. In fact, Shinji was starting to realize that this man was more of a mercenary and stone cold killer than someone motivated by religious or political means. It was in how his apparent reverence for Shinji as an Imperial presence would sometimes slip.

_Because there's a monster living  
under my bed  
Whispering in my ear  
There's an angel with a hand on  
my head  
She says I've got  
nothing to fear_

During the first part of the interrogation, Shinji and Nobu were at least able to learn the man's name – Hayashi – and roughly his position in the organization – in charge of military operations. Beyond those facts, Hayashi was coy and obviously enjoying the game of verbal jousting. Shinji maintained his cool demeanor only through the calming voice in his ear. He was careful not to let on that the ear piece was present or to glance at the mirror. He focused on observation and maintaining the 'presence' required.

_There's a darkness deep  
in my soul  
I still got a purpose to serve  
So let your light shine,  
into my home  
God don't let me lose my  
nerve  
Lose my nerve_

They had reached an impasse. Nobu had been at this for fifteen minutes and was only able to get basics. Shinji could now plainly see the error of their ways – they were using the wrong lever. Nobu had paused and was regrouping providing Shinji with the necessary opening.

"Hayashi-san, you are ronin," stated Shinji his voice flat and his eyes as cold as an arctic wind.

Nobu would have been murder in a poker game - not letting on his surprise at Shinji's deviation from the plan. In his ear, he heard the excited voice of the technician reporting wild fluctuations in Hayashi's response patterns. For their part, Misato, Rei, and Asuka were not startled at Shinji's interruption but at the ability for Shinji to so completely imitate his father. Asuka whispered urgently to Shinji and received the pre-arranged hand signal that he was under control.

_Hey now, hey now,  
hey now, hey now  
Wo-oh hey now, hey now,  
hey now, hey now  
Hey now all you sinners_

_Put your lights on,  
put your lights on  
Hey now, all you children  
Leave your lights on you  
better leave your lights on_

Shinji dismissed Hayashi's babbled responses with a curt wave of his hand silencing the man's feeble attempts at recovering the initiative and maintaining his previous façade.

"It is clear to me that you are not motivated by ideals but by economics," came Shinji's quiet voice. "Therefore, we should discuss the economic terms of your cooperation."

"What makes you think I can be bought? That, I would abandon our cause so easily?" spat Hayashi.

Shinji merely stared at Hayashi who began to wilt under the mental assault. "You have already been bought once. Your behavior in this room is evidence enough of that."

Hayashi continued to squirm under Shinji's unrelenting gaze. From behind the mirror, Asuka had begun to worry about Shinji channeling his father. Keying her contact with Shinji, "Shinji, I think that's enough. You need to let him stew. I'll meet you in the hallway."

Abruptly, Shinji stood and Nobu hurriedly followed suit. As he made his way to the door, Shinji left Hayashi with a final thought, "Did it ever occur to you that they may have been right about me?"

_Because there's a monster living under my bed  
Whispering in my ear  
There's an angel, with a hand on my head  
She say's I've got nothing to fear_

_La illaha illa Allah  
We all shine like stars  
La illaha illa Allah  
We all shine like stars  
Then we fade away_

Closing the door to the interrogation room, Nobu quickly headed down the hall to confer with Makoto and the technician about the results. Shinji merely leaned against the wall and took a deep, cleansing breath, eyes closed as he tried to regain himself. Feeling Asuka's presence and then her hands cupping his face, he opened his eyes to be greeted with her worried face as her eyes searched his for signs of his father.

"Shinji? Are you ok?"

Sliding his hands around her waist, he gave a quiet nod vaguely aware of Rei and Misato watching with concern. "I'm ok, now," he replied as he felt the warmth of her presence wash over him.

Asuka's hands slid around his neck as she pulled him into a tight hug. "You scare me when you act like your father. It's eerie," Asuka whispered into his ear.

Nuzzling her ear and breathing in the fresh scent of her shampoo, Shinji's eyes closed as he whispered back, "It scares me too, now. But, I know that I will always be me if you're here - that I'll never become a monster like him."

Straightening up, Shinji looked over at Misato and Rei. "Misato, can we go home now? I don't think I ever want to do that again."

"I agree with you. I don't think it's right for you to be involved in this part of the operation," replied a stern-faced Misato whose resolve received new found strength. "Let's go before they find something else for us to be involved in.

* * *

_Ride Home_

* * *

Misato was taking a much more sedate trip home as she reflected on the events of the last two days. Her young charges – Shinji in the front seat having called "shotgun" much to the consternation of the girls now in the backseat – were certainly proving resilient, but Misato worried about how long they could keep it up. She would have to find ways to provide them more normalcy and, hopefully, a vacation for the small family. 

Shinji had fallen asleep in the front seat from the stress of the day, and Rei was looking out the window as if she were five and easily distracted by all of the colors, images, and people. Asuka finally was able to call Hikari only to exclaim after a long explanation from the girl on the other end of the phone, "You have got to be kidding me. He didn't? Stupid stooge . . . all right . . . let me ask Misato. Misato, can I stay over at Hikari's tonight?"

Misato looked up at Asuka via the rear view mirror. Given what she had heard of the phone call, something must be brewing. "Sure, but go over after dinner. We need a little family time."

"Ok . . . did you hear that Hikari? Right, see you then."

* * *

- 

-

* * *

**Author's Parting Shots**: Hehe, nothing is ever simple. Like they say, "into every life a little rain must fall" 


	18. The Tension of Silence

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 17: The Tension of Silence **

* * *

_Lunch Time, Monday - School_

* * *

Shinji sat on the roof with Toji and Kensuke as they all quietly ate their lunch. Shinji and Kensuke were watching a morose Toji. The girls' gossip network had fully informed the two of them the girls' perspective on the recent argument between Toji and Hikari. Shinji tried to integrate the events of the morning with his knowledge of his friend. Shinji tried to have an open mind, but things were definitely not looking good for Toji. 

It had started for Shinji with the call from Asuka that triggered Rei and Shinji leaving for school earlier than planned with their increased Section 2 protective team in tow. Asuka had explained Hikari's perspective to Shinji and had, amazingly, not taken out her frustration and anger on Shinji. However, Shinji could tell that she was upset and angry and did encourage her to vent that off if only to spare their classmates. It seems that Toji and Hikari had gone to the movies on Friday where everything was going well. In fact, it was going well enough that they went to the park afterward and had kissed.

Hikari had explained to Asuka that she felt a little embarrassed about having kissed Toji. She wasn't sure that she was ready for that step in their relationship and wasn't sure how her sisters or her father would react. In fact, she had been so worried about it that she asked Toji not to tell anyone about the kiss until she could explain her feelings to her family. He had agreed, but had let the information slip out. Apparently, Toji had a Saturday practice where he had mentioned that he and Hikari had kissed. It was at this point that things really started to go astray.

Shinji and Rei had arrived to school early to find Asuka and Hikari already in the classroom and the rumors flying around the hallways and outside amongst the groups of students. Hikari was mortified. She had obviously been crying that morning and if not for Asuka's presence would have been subjected to brutal teasing and torment. As it was, she was the subject of whispers and glances as the two had made their way to class. The whispers and glances had mostly subsided after Asuka had made an example out of a group of more rowdy girls, but Hikari felt guilty that her friend had to stand up for her.

This led to the conversation between Asuka and Shinji as Rei tried to calm Hikari's nerves.

"Shinji, what are we going to do to the Stooge about this? Your friend has totally crossed the line this time. I always knew he was a pervert but to go around blabbing his perversity to everyone and ruining Hikari's reputation at the same time?"

Shinji knew he had to do something. Asuka was working her self up to a level that would mean Toji would cease to exist, but at the same time, he didn't have all the facts and she could be right. Reaching out to hold her hand, "Asuka, before we erect the gallows in the quad, let me find out Toji's side of the story."

"Why does the Stooge's side of the story matter? Do you think Hikari is lying? It would be so typical of you guys to take his side," Asuka responded trying to pull her hand out of Shinji's.

"Asuka, I didn't say that!" Shinji said trying to retain his hold of Asuka's hand. "I just want to know what he thinks he did or said. This may just be a big misunderstanding. And, even though he's my friend, I'm not automatically taking his side. I'm not choosing him over you or Hikari. I . . . I just want to know what he thinks he did."

Asuka relented and allowed Shinji to keep hold of her hand, but the anger on her face was very evident. "Alright, that makes _some_ sense. I'll give him a stay of execution." With a sigh, she led Shinji further away from Hikari and the two of them stood by the windows of the classroom.

"Look, Shinji, you know as well as I do that we'll never be able to put things back the way they were, right? You just can't 'un-say' stuff. No one is ever going to be able to look at Hikari without remembering this, even if it was some sort of misunderstanding. They'll all just conveniently forget that part and only remember she had allowed herself to be put in a position where her judgment was put into question. Your Stooge friend needs to understand what kind of damage he's done."

"I'll make sure he understands, but Toji's not really that stupid. I think he knows how bad it really is."

Yuki had relayed essentially the same story to Kensuke but had also mentioned that the "telephone game" was in full effect. Toji also confirmed the events up to this point. In fact, when Kensuke and Shinji had talked in the hallway to strategize how they were going to help their friend, it was obvious from Yuki that over the weekend, the entire story had already spread throughout the school in a variety of forms. The stories circulating among the girls ranged from Toji bragging that he had kissed Hikari to bragging that he had kissed her and was well on his way to "getting more". The story circulating among the boys was that Toji had felt that Hikari was ashamed of him and that's why she didn't want anyone to know that she had kissed him. To his credit, Toji had been correcting that rumor whenever he encountered it and had told Shinji and Kensuke that he hadn't been bragging at all and had just mentioned it amongst his teammates when they had all been talking about their girlfriends.

Tightening her grip on his hand, Asuka turned back to Shinji with the features of her face softening from anger to worry. "Baka-kun, you'd never betray my trust like that, would you? I see what it's doing to Hikari, and I hope never to have to go through it again."

Surprised at the sudden change, Shinji said, "What . . . um . . . no, I would not betray your trust intentionally." Seeing her startled face, Shinji powered on, "But, Asuka, I'm not always the smartest or most adept at dealing with people, and I can't guarantee I won't make mistakes."

Asuka relaxed a little as she tried to absorb this last statement. Taking his other hand in hers, she looked up at Shinji's face. "I know that you can be a baka and that you'd never do it on purpose. At least, you're honest about it." Looking over at Hikari, "It's just that I'm watching her go through so much pain. She's my friend, Shinji. She was the only one of our classmates to be my friend when I first got here."

"Asuka, do you think that, maybe, Toji just made a mistake?"

" . . . ok, I see your point . . . I'm still very mad at him, though."

"Yeah, but can you just focus on Hikari right now? I'll try and find out more."

"Alright," agreed Asuka just as more students started to filter into class. In fact, it was the glares from Asuka and Rei that kept the commentary to a minimum and most students just made their way to their seats. Kensuke had made his entrance with a small group of people and had tried to talk to Shinji only to be told that they'd have to wait until break time. Toji's walk to his seat was greeted by silence in the class. Hikari didn't look up, and he just sighed at the lack of response from her. The entire morning had passed in silent tension broken only by the droning of the teachers and the lunch bell.

Kensuke had known Toji the longest and decided that it would be up to him to open up the conversation. "Toji, you're going to have to talk to us at some point. You can't just let it go on like this."

Toji looked up at Kensuke and then Shinji to see their concerned faces. His mouth worked a couple of times as he tried to get sound to come out. "I . . . didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"Of course you didn't. You'd be insane to want this to happen," replied Kensuke.

Toji looked at them with pleading eyes practically begging forgiveness. Kensuke merely looked at Shinji and said, "You're the expert on girls."

"How am I the expert on girls?"

"You tamed the Demon."

"We talked about you calling her that."

"Sorry. But, you are the one who's been in a relationship the longest, and you have to admit that your girlfriend is pretty high maintenance, and you seem to be handling it better than the rest of us."

"All right, all right, I get it," acquiesced Shinji. "Toji, you realize that this isn't about the kiss, right?"

"What? Um . . . I guess so."

"You didn't force her to kiss you did you?"

"Of course not! What kind of guy do you think I am?"

"So, if you didn't force her, she must have agreed to the kiss, right?"

"Well . . . how does that change anything?"

"Did she say she was ashamed of having kissed you?"

"Uh, no. But she did say she wanted to explain it to her family."

"Did she say why?"

"She said that she wanted to be the one to explain her feelings about me." Toji may have been a Stooge, but he wasn't completely brain dead. "I took that from her, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but there's something else."

"The rumors?"

"The rumors are just a part of it. I think it's more like she trusted you with her reputation. And, now, her reputation is now in question by her family, friends, and acquaintances. It's just like how you trusted your teammates but they blabbed it all over school. You're pissed at them and all the problems they caused."

"I suppose. You're not making me feel any better."

"I'm not trying to make you feel better. I'm doing what Misato suggested – helping you get to the point where you can fix the problem. That's really the only way you're going to feel better."

"Oh no, Katsuragi-san knows, too? How far has this gone? At least you and Kensuke aren't piling on because your girlfriends are pissed at me."

Kensuke cleared his throat, "Well, Yuki is upset. She's been pushing me to do something. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing, but it was supposed to be something."

"Asuka was pretty much the same way, just with more . . . intensity."

Toji sat there quietly pondering how much grief his little slip was causing everyone – especially his fellow Stooges.

"So, what do I do about this?"

"You could start with apologizing to Hikari for the real problem as a first step to trying to regain her trust."

"But, she doesn't even acknowledge that I exist right now."

"Because you keep trying to approach her in VERY public places, of course she's going to give you the cold shoulder. What else is she going to do? She's not going to be the first one to make a move and forgive you because it was you that wronged her, right? She's gotta make you suffer or cut ties with you altogether to salvage her reputation."

"This is so complicated," moaned Toji.

"You'll figure it out," encouraged Kensuke as further discussion was cut off by the bell.

* * *

_That Night – Family Dinner Table_

* * *

Misato had come home earlier than normal for the first time in a long time. The remains of their early dinner sat cooling on their table as they had a chance to luxuriate in family time for a second night in a row. 

"On a couple of conditions, I think you can go to the concert," responded Misato. "First, you have to come right home after the concert. It's going to end late and I want you home at a reasonable hour. Second, the three of you and Rei's date have to stay together. It's going to be hard enough for Section 2 to provide anything remotely resembling adequate security, and I don't want you making it harder than it needs to be by getting spread out in a sea of kids. Lastly, I want to meet your date before the concert."

Rei squealed with joy, nodded her head at every condition, and gave Misato a hug. "Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome, Rei," smiled Misato. "So, Shinji, I got a call from Machida-san today."

"Oh?" responded Shinji who got an elbow in the ribs from Asuka about his response. Shinji was quick enough to swallow the "sorry" would have normally passed his lips. Having passed this little test, he was rewarded with Asuka's hand returning to his.

Misato worked hard at not laughing at the interchange but did smile at the "training" that was going on. "He mentioned that he was very impressed with your audition and wanted to sit down with us to talk about your schedule. He wants to offer you a chair in the Philharmonic."

Pandemonium ensued. Shinji sat stunned as the eye of the storm of shouting from Asuka and Rei. He started to come out of it as Asuka pulled him into a hug which he belatedly returned.

"oh . . . my . . . god," panted Shinji as he started to hyperventilate. "But . . . NERV . . . school . . . schedule . . . um . . . paper work . . . "

"Easy, Shin-chan," laughed Misato. "Do you want a paper bag? We'll be able to work it all out. Machida-san is supposed to send me a rehearsal schedule. He, your Principal, and I will work out a schedule for you. It's going to have to be fairly comprehensive for the security detail and we'll probably end up sending you to and from places with Section 2 drivers to minimize the security problems."

With that last statement, Misato's face turned a little grave and she motioned for her kids to settle down. "So, Makoto is pretty sure he understands the extent of the security breach. It's moderately bad overall, but for you guys in particular, nearly all of the information about your roles with NERV has been compromised. The only things that have not been compromised are your medical and psychological records, so there is some small good news there. In general, we don't think the press or paparazzi will bother you. It seems like everyone has more or less accepted that Third Impact occurred and that we've all moved on. However, our public affairs people are working hard to keep the impact to a minimum. It's a good thing you guys are military officers because you get more institutionalized protection than if you were private citizens."

"So, the only real problem will be the increased Section 2 presence and the expansion of the Section 2 patrols to include our friends?" asked Asuka.

"That's the plan right now. But you three already know that it's important to be alert and keep Section 2 aware of your movements at all times."

"Well, that's a relief," commented Rei. "There's just so much going on right now. Uh, mom, are we going to get a break on our duty schedules?"

"What sort of break were you thinking about?"

"All these surprises – like the raid the other day. Don't we have enough people now to mean we don't have to do that kind of thing anymore?"

"No guarantees. I'm trying to limit your time commitments, but sometimes I get orders, too."

"But, can't we just get more free time?"

"I agree with you that you kids need more time to be kids, but you have to admit that you are in a somewhat unique situation compared to your peers."

"But, mom, we did save the world, didn't we?"

Misato laughed at Rei's attempt at negotiating and gave her daughter's hand a squeeze. "Yes, you did. But, we all have our responsibilities like right now you guys have homework to do."

Rei just stuck her tongue out and then smiled vowing silently that this discussion would be revisited after she had a chance to scheme with Asuka and Shinji.

* * *

_Later that Evening - Kitchen Table Study Session_

* * *

Rei, Asuka, and Shinji were gathered around the table in a mutual study/tutoring session trying to catch up from their lost weekend. Misato had gone to bed early, and all three teens had noticed that there was still beer left in the fridge.

"You know, I'm buying less and less beer on the trips to the store," observed Shinji.

"I don't see her drinking as much or going on such big binges, either," commented Asuka as she read through Rei's homework.

"Do you think we should tell her?" asked Rei.

"I think we should just let it go. If we bring it up, it might make her self-conscious about it. What do you think Shinji?"

"I agree. Let's just keep an eye on it."

"What are we going to do about all this 'protection'?" asked Rei. "I'm not sure I want to stay in NERV the rest of my life."

"Me either, but it's a necessary evil right now," responded Shinji.

"NERV reminds me of too many things I want to forget."

"Yeah, but you shouldn't look at it that way. You'll get all bitter and twisted."

"I guess."

Shinji noticed that Asuka had been very quiet through this. Tentatively putting his hand on her leg, "Asuka? What's wrong?"

Putting Rei's paper down, Asuka took a shaky breath and looked at both Rei and Shinji. "I . . . guess . . . I don't mind working at NERV with Misato."

"Yeah?" prompted Rei.

"I kinda like what she and I do together, and it's become something that I'm used to. I . . . just don't know what I would do if I wasn't a part of NERV."

Shinji had been furiously grinding the gears of his intellect trying to understand the real issue at hand and then he had it, "Asuka, did it bother you that I called NERV a necessary evil?"

"Uh huh. For a second, I felt like you were calling me a necessary evil, and when Rei said she didn't want to be in NERV for the rest of her life, it felt like she was going to leave me, too."

Silence reigned at the table as Shinji brain registered the changes in the apartment that had occurred. On the once bare walls, there were family pictures – all of them together, Misato with each of them. His present to Asuka held a special place on a wall by itself where Misato had joked she was going to put the wedding pictures. He could sense that they were all a little fearful of losing the fragile life they had constructed for themselves.

"Is this normal?" asked a now distraught Rei.

"Is what normal?" replied Asuka.

"Having dreams that hurt other people?"

"I wouldn't say that our dreams hurt each other. I think we just have a little miscommunication occurring," Shinji said. "For example, I have a dream of being a musician. Being in NERV right now is necessary, but isn't what I want forever. I also have dreams of Asuka and I being together and you being a part of our family. It's actually new to me to have dreams like this which tells me that I'm not exactly an expert on 'normal'."

Asuka had clasped Shinji's hand in hers. "I have dreams of us being together, too. I just haven't decided what my dreams for the future will be. I'm comfortable with the military, but I don't know if that's really my dream. I do know that dreams change, but there are some dreams that I don't want to change."

"So, you're not mad at us?" asked Rei.

"No. I don't think so. I'm just glad we could clear it up. I . . . I just want to have dreams away from NERV, too, I guess . . ."

"There's plenty of possibilities, Asuka-chan. You don't have to choose right now."

"I know." Asuka leaned her head on Shinji's shoulder and closed her eyes. She had dreams of a future with her baka but hadn't spent much time thinking about a professional future. It had been hard and was still hard to think of a future with someone instead of just alone and self-reliant. It was very unsettling to no longer have a clear vision of herself when she had always seemed to have a solid grasp of who she was and what she wanted to be. Although, she was now having to accept the fact that her old vision of what she wanted to be never took into account the possibility of the Angel Wars ending at some point.

Rei quietly pulled her stuff together and took this as a cue to get ready for bed leaving her brother to deal with his girlfriend.

Asuka climbed into Shinji's lap and hugged him close. "Shinji, would I have to give up on my dream for us to be together?"

". . . uh . . . I'm not sure what you're asking me."

"If my dream was to be Commander of NERV, would I have to give that up so we could stay together?"

"hmmm . . . no . . . no, absolutely not. It's your dream. I love you and would help you make sure dream come true. Just because it's not my dream to be in the military doesn't mean it's not a good dream."

"If you had to give up music for us to stay together, would you?"

"Absolutely," was Shinji's immediate response.

Surprised, Asuka sat up to look in Shinji's face. "Really?"

Tightening his hug on Asuka, Shinji continued, "Really. It's like I told you before Asuka. I would rather die than us be apart. I've finally found happiness and a future, and I'm determined to keep it. It would be pretty rocky for a while if I had to give up music, but I think if you were there with me, I could do it."

Asuka could feel the tugs at her heart strings as the boy . . . no, the young man in her arms had just placed her on a very high pedestal and described the depth of his commitment to their relationship. Her hand came up to caress his face and move the hair out of his eyes. Leaning forward, she gave him a soft, lingering kiss. Touching her forehead to his, "Shinji, I love you, too, and I hope I never have to put you in the position to make that choice. I . . . I guess . . . I guess I just needed some reassurance. It wasn't really fair to ask you that question."

"Sure it was."

"It was?"

"I'm your baka," smiled Shinji. "You can ask me anything."

Asuka laughed and gave him a playful punch in the shoulder, "Baka!"

* * *

- 

-

* * *

**Author's Parting Shots**: I think this is the first real chapter that doesn't have a song in it (I don't count the prologue) and I had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I wanted to stretch a bit out of the crutch of the emotional backdrop the music provides, but I also didn't want to lose that context. Oh well. The music will be back next chapter. 

Yes, to those of you who asked, the band is still alive. We've just taken a side trip on the plot road. I haven't envisioned a break up of the band, so it will be back later.

I got some pointers along the way that I should leave more up to the imagination of the readers instead of describing every little detail to make the writing more interesting, so heads up! You'll start seeing me experiment with that!


	19. Mysterious Ways of Tenderness

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 18: Mysterious Ways of Tenderness**

* * *

_Weeks Later on a Friday Afternoon – Tokyo Philharmonic Rehearsal_

* * *

Asuka sat in the car daydreaming and listening to Shinji's music player. An old tune ("Mysterious Ways" by U2) that she had loaded for Shinji had come up on the random shuffle of songs. It was a song she had always liked and seemed like a happy coincidence since she had pressured Section 2 to bring her along and to leave a little early to pick up Shinji from rehearsal with the Philharmonic. 

_Johnny take a walk with your sister the moon  
Let her pale light in to fill up your room  
You've been living underground  
Eating from a can  
You've been running away  
From what you don't understand..._

_Love  
She's slippy  
You're sliding down  
She'll be there when you hit the ground_

Asuka quietly slipped into the rehearsal auditorium to find that rehearsal was winding down. She scanned the orchestra to find Shinji in his seat somewhere in the middle of the cellos. He'd done well enough to earn a spot but his skills weren't polished enough to earn a top chair. True to his nature, though, Shinji was just glad to be a part of the group and didn't feel there was anything to be ashamed of with his current chair ranking. She noticed that Shinji was working hard to keep up and felt a little surge of pride that he was stepping up to the challenge and appeared to be succeeding.

_It's alright, it's alright, it's alright  
She moves in mysterious ways  
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright  
She moves in mysterious ways_

As rehearsal started to break up, Asuka watched as a bunch of the younger girls started to gather around Shinji. From what she could piece together from the parts of the conversations she could hear, they were all trying to flirt with Shinji having been drawn in by the fact that he was new, a former EVA pilot, and cute. The little flame of jealousy that had been sparked was extinguished when she took a closer look at Shinji's reactions. True, he was smiling and sort of participating, but Asuka could tell that it was Shinji's "polite" smile – the one he used to be polite and interested, but when his heart really wasn't into it. As he was packing up, he kept the polite smile and was gently letting each of the girls' feelings down to soft landings. Asuka stood from her chair in the back of the hall as Shinji made his way down the stairs from the stage towards the exit doors a few of the girls trailing behind enjoying their little flirting game and trying to get Shinji to blush again.

_Johnny take a dive with your sister in the rain  
Let her talk about the things you can't explain  
To touch is to heal  
To hurt is to steal  
If you want to kiss the sky  
Better learn how to kneel  
(on your knees boy)_

To the girls around Shinji, it became readily apparent why their flirting wasn't going anywhere. Shinji's little polite smile bloomed into a real, heartfelt smile as he caught sight of Asuka coming up the aisle to meet him. In that moment, they had all been forgotten and then left behind as his pace quickened. Unlike most of the guys on stage who had automatically assumed that it was because Shinji thought Asuka was prettier than the girls in the orchestra, the girls, being right there with Shinji, saw the look in his eyes and felt the connection between the two.

_She's the wave  
She turns the tide  
She sees the man inside the child  
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright_

_She moves in mysterious ways  
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright  
She moves in mysterious ways  
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright  
Lift my days, light up my nights_

Shinji put his cello's traveling case down just in time to grab Asuka into a hug as she jumped a little to wrap her arms around his neck. They both had a quiet laugh as he swung her around, and as her feet touched back down, she pulled back a little to plant a small kiss on Shinji and to tell him, "Shinji-kun, you're taking me to dinner."

_One day you will look...back  
And you'll see...where  
You were held...how  
By this love...while_

_You could stand...there  
You could move on this moment  
Follow this feeling_

_It's alright, it's alright, it's alright  
She moves in mysterious ways  
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright  
She moves in mysterious ways  
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright_

"I'm taking you to dinner am I? What's the occasion?"

"You, baka, have been ignoring me for the last week for these little side gigs like martial arts practice, band practice, school, paper work at NERV, and this orchestra. So, you are going to dote on your beautiful girlfriend and beg her forgiveness for being so inconsiderate as you shower her with affection and announce your undying love for her," declared Asuka as she gave him a big smile plastered over a chibi face.

_We move through miracle days  
Spirit moves in mysterious ways  
She moves with it  
She moves with it  
Lift my days, light up my nights_

Shinji just laughed and pulled her into another hug to swing her around again. For her part, Asuka just held on and laughed as his fingers tickled. Upon setting her down, Shinji reached for his cello and said, "How could I have been so thoughtless? McDonald's does sound good, though."

Entwining her fingers with his free hand, she gave him a playful pinch. "That's sooo going to cost you, Baka-kun."

"Cost me?" replied Shinji as they made their way to the door. "I'm just a poor musician. You're going to have to take pity on me."

"Pity? Pity is for the weak. Your friends don't call me the Demon for nothing. Hmm. Maybe I should find myself another boyfriend," teased Asuka.

Playing his role in this, now, very familiar play, Shinji got a suitably stricken look on his face and said, "Asuka, please don't leave me. I'll do whatever you say."

Patting his cheek with her free hand and giving him a devilish look, "Of course you will. It's never been optional."

Asuka couldn't hold back any longer. The look on Shinji's face was just too much and she just started to laugh, which caused Shinji to break out laughing as well. The pair mostly got themselves under control as they pushed through the doors and began loading Shinji's cello into the trunk of the car.

As they sat in traffic on the way to the restaurant that Asuka had conveniently suggested to the driver, the conversation revolved around some recent announcements from the educational system.

"Hikari confirmed the rumor. The schools are going to cut the vacation short and start us in high school a little early so we'd end our first year with everyone else in the nation."

"That's typical."

"Misato did say that we're all due for a vacation, though. Wasn't our last vacation that trip to the hot springs?"

"The onsen? Um, yeah, that was our last vacation now that I think about it."

"Do you want to share a hot springs dip with me?"

"Asuka!"

"What? Are you ashamed to be seen with me?" she pouted.

"No, that's not it at all. It's just . . . just that . . . well . . . we'd be . . ."

Taking pity on her blushing and struggling boyfriend, Asuka tightened her grip on his hand. "Shinji-kun, I'm just teasing. Besides, it's not anything that you haven't already seen."

Relieved, Shinji returned the warm pressure in his hand. "I know. I just don't really feel comfortable sharing the more . . . intimate moments in public."

"Hehehe, that's what makes it so easy to tease you," laughed Asuka.

* * *

_Lunch Time Saturday – Park_

* * *

The gang had gathered at the park to listen to a recording of their last practice. Kensuke had borrowed a mixing station and had run the various microphones into it to produce an electronic audio file. The group was now listening to their cover of General Public's "Tenderness" on the speakers that Kensuke had hooked to Shinji's player.

_I don't know when to start or when to stop  
My luck's like a button  
I can't stop pushing it  
My head feels light  
But I'm still in the dark  
Seems like without tenderness there's something missing_

_Tenderness  
Where is the  
Tenderness  
Where is it?_

Shinji only half listened to the recording the others were critiquing. He was lying on the blanket with his head in Asuka's lap, eyes closed, and thinking about how hard the group had worked to try and repair the recent relationship damage. Kensuke and Shinji had coached Toji on his apology using the inside information from Yuki and Asuka. It hadn't been easy or pleasant, but Toji had finally been able to get Hikari to listen to him long enough to allow him to apologize.

_I don't know where I am but I know I don't like it  
I open my mouth and out pops something spiteful  
Words are so cheap, but they can turn out expensive  
Words like conviction can turn into a sentence_

As expected, the first apology attempt was rejected. Shinji and Kensuke had needed to push Toji to keep trying even in the face of the all of the gossiping that was occurring. The entire drama was being "broadcast" by the network of informants and bystanders which in turn created lots of "advice" for Toji and, to a lesser extent, Hikari, and Shinji and Kensuke had to keep Toji from drifting away from the agreed upon plan. Even though he had expected it, receiving the first rejection was almost totally devastating to Toji and he had to lean on his friends more than he had to rely on anyone before.

_I held your hands  
Rings but none on that finger  
We danced and danced  
But I was scared to go much further with it  
Just half a chance  
Make sure that one night you're here,  
But next night you're not  
It always leaves me searching for a little_

_Tenderness  
Where is the  
Tenderness  
Where is the  
Tenderness?_

Ultimately, his persistence had paid off and Hikari had accepted his apology, but it was painfully obvious to everyone including Toji that his penance was far from over and that lots of bridge building was still needed. Shinji saw it just in the way that Hikari had picked up some of Asuka's mannerisms, probably unconsciously, and was much more assertive in what her expectations were.

_Whistling in the graveyard  
Calling up your girlfriend  
Just trying to make her understand  
You're squeezing the telephone like it was her hand  
No question (so many questions)_

_She's going to catch you out boy  
It all seems so underhand  
Now she's the only thing that ever made you feel like a man, man  
Madman, madman_

_Tenderness  
Where is the  
Tenderness  
Tenderness  
Tenderness  
Where is it?_

Shinji had paid a great deal of attention to the interaction between Hikari and Toji over the last couple of days and had asked Asuka to watch them during this session. As Shinji started down that little mental alley way, he was interrupted by Kensuke.

"Shinji, what do you think about that last verse?"

"I was a little flat on the pitch. You were rushing a little. Rei and Toji were pretty steady on beat. Asuka's chord sounded off compared to your piano."

"You heard all of that?"

"Well, I cheated and listed to the recording a couple of times already."

Kensuke just shook his head at his friend and sighed in exasperation. "No wonder you're not really paying attention."

Shinji opened his eyes in time to see Hikari give Toji "The Look". In the past couple of weeks, Hikari's arsenal of weapons had expanded at a prodigious rate under Asuka's tutelage and the first thing she had refined was the piercing gaze that froze Toji like a frightened rabbit under the eyes of a hawk. Unsure of what Toji had done, if anything, Shinji merely sighed inwardly. While Toji and Hikari had gotten back together on some sort of probationary thing, Shinji had been meaning to ask Asuka if she thought that it would survive.

_I held your hands  
Rings but none on that finger  
We danced and danced  
But I was scared to go much further with it  
Just half a chance  
Make sure that one night you're here,  
But next night you're not  
It always leaves me searching for a little_

_Tenderness  
Where is the  
Tenderness?_

"So, Shinji, what do you think we should be focusing on in rehearsals?" prompted Hikari surprising Shinji. She was starting to take her role of manager much more seriously and had begun to exert some much needed leadership and structure on the band.

"Well, our big problem right now is tempo. We don't take good cues from Rei and Toji. We, sort of, end up all over the place. From a pitch perspective, we do pretty well and most of our problems are just setup – tuning strings and the like."

Hikari made some notes in a little organizer she had begun to carry around. "Ok, I wrote it down and will remind us when we have our next rehearsal."

_When you're sick to death of second best, pet  
Why should the morning always find you unimpressed?  
Is your love like a button?  
You can't stop pushing it?  
Oh this all night longing can be such a long time_

The conversation had continued for a while longer but, eventually, Yuki and Kensuke then Toji and Hikari had left to do other things on their Saturday afternoon. Rei soon left to call her potential boyfriend and to arrange for family dinner. Misato had called and the plan was for family night out with dinner and a movie.

This left Shinji still in the same position but with Asuka's hand on his chest as she stared out over the lake and her other hand absently playing with his hair. Shinji brought his hand up to cover Asuka's and warm her fingers.

"Asuka?"

"Hmm?"

Shinji opened his eyes to look up at Asuka's face and screwed up his courage, "I don't think Hikari and Toji are going to be able to stay together."

He saw the sadness in her face. "You might be right. As much as he made Hikari happy, it's just not going beyond strained. But, he's starting to grow up, and it might get better."

"Toji was scared at first but I think the constant riding is pushing him away. He asked me for advice on how I deal with it."

"Typical. He doesn't understand either. Shinji, I know we should be talking about them, but I don't do that too you anymore do I?"

"You used to do it all the time. We had talked about that. But, now, it's more like you have suggestions and want me to grow with you. It's just that Toji doesn't understand the change. I think it's because you guys didn't start off on the best of terms and he's not paying attention to the differences."

Shinji received a smile for his words. They continued to talk about the future of Toji and Hikari. It didn't seem very clear cut and both of them would have to give something to the compromise at some point. Asuka's phone began to ring interrupting the conversation. Shinji was about to answer it as Asuka's personal assistant when she snatched it from his hand giving him a stern look that immediately turned playful.

Shinji closed his eyes and tuned out the conversation. He was just enjoying a late afternoon date in the park with his girlfriend. Neither of them had many pleasant memories like this from their past and they had begun to take every chance to build a wealth of memories together.

"Shinji, that was Rei. She said for us to meet them at the restaurant in about forty-five minutes, so we're going to have to leave soon."

"Okay."

Asuka began to run her fingers through Shinji's hair as they talked more about Toji and Hikari. Strangely, Asuka was not as pessimistic about their relationship. "Shinji, Toji just needs to grow up a little and learn how to talk to other people. He'll figure it out, and it'll get better."

"How can you be so sure?"

"You figured it out, Baka-kun."

"But, I needed some pretty big things to happen."

"Well, as much as he's a stooge, I don't think Toji is that far off. Plus, I think Hikari ignoring him for a couple of weeks was a pretty big deal to him."

"I guess. But, Hikari probably has some growing, too. They were in their little world without any real problems, then this happened."

"You're probably right. They both have to do some growing. Hopefully, they don't kill each other in the process."

"We didn't," replied Shinji as he slid his hands around her.

"Hey! Watch those hands! You're starting to get bold, now," declared Asuka as one hand pinched Shinji's cheek and the other removed his hand from her hip.

"I can't help myself. You're just so pretty."

"Flatterer . . . it's time to go, hentai. We don't want to be late for dinner."

-

-

* * *

**Author's Parting Shots**: Well, we have a short snapshot this time around and sorry to keep you waiting for a short installment. Real life intrusions and all of those kinds of excuses :) 


	20. My Girl

"**We're The Band"**

** Chapter 19: My Girl **

* * *

_Break Between Junior High and High School – Onsen_

* * *

Shinji lay back in the hot springs with the small towel on his forehead, eyes closed, letting the heat relax the tension from his body. It was their first day at the onsen and after the two hour train ride and crazy couple of months, he booked the roof top solitary bath for some desperately needed solitude and relaxation. The moon was bright through the open skylights, and Shinji turned off most of the lights in the area leaving only the light over by the changing area on. He could hear the gentle gurgling of the hot water trickling into the bath over the chirps of the crickets. As the heat seeped into his muscles, his eyes closed and his mind began to drift as it began to let go of the recent events.

First in the queue was the _Pharitse_ concert. He, Asuka, and Misato had met Rei's boyfriend candidate – Hideyoshi. When they had him over for dinner, he seemed like a nice boy. He held up to Misato's probes and subsequent teasing fairly well – meaning that he blushed a lot but avoided a nose bleed. None of this was a surprise to Shinji and Asuka. Once Rei had told them who he was, they had immediately turned to their network of friends to check him out. From Toji, they found out that Hideyoshi was a defender on the soccer team, a steady guy that was respected by his teammates, relatively quiet, and utterly dependable. From Hikari, it turns out that the girl-grapevine viewed him as a nice guy, cute enough, quiet, and a good fit for Rei. All in all it seemed to be a good choice.

It was a typical concert – lots of kids, high energy dancing, flashing lights, deafening music, and general mayhem. Rei ended up imitating Asuka by sliding one arm around Hideyoshi's waist as she jumped up and down in time with the music with her hand in the air. When Shinji had glanced over, Hideyoshi had put his arm around Rei, but his face was bright red and had a nervous look on it. Shinji knew that look well and pulled his girlfriend into a slightly tighter hug.

Rei had practically flipped out when her idol, _Pharitse's_ bassist started in on a solo. She tightened her hold on Hideyoshi into a death grip that threatened to squeeze the life out him as surely as a python's embrace. He didn't get any relief until Rei let go long enough to applaud, jump up and down, and scream her enthusiastic approval. Shinji just shook his head until he felt the warm lips of his own girlfriend on his ear, "Let her have her fun, Shinji-kun. She deserves it as much as you do."

In typical, stream-of-consciousness fashion, Shinji's mind jumped to the band's last practice. Hikari and Toji had mostly gotten back to normal. The sniping was mostly gone along with the death stares, the short leash, and other petty annoyances. Shinji was pretty confused about the transformation and surprised that Asuka was in no way surprised that her prediction came true. In the minutes leading up to band practice, Shinji had asked her about it. Asuka had merely smiled at patted his cheek, "Baka-kun, you can be completely hopeless, you know? That must be one of the things I love about you, or it would drive me insane." Her voice was a little scratchy since she was suffering from laryngitis, but to Shinji it made her voice a little husky and, to his surprise, kinda sexy.

Taking his hand and leading him to a private spot where they wouldn't be over heard, "Shinji, Hikari needed to learn that Toji likes her above everyone else. Because she didn't have the confidence that she could hold his attention, she kept him on a short leash. Girls who have self-confidence issues regarding their boyfriends always do that. I used to do it to you, but was able to grow out of it. Toji needed to grow up and realize that Hikari wasn't his mom. She is his girlfriend, and while girlfriends like to take care of their boyfriends, they don't want to be their mothers. So, Toji finally figured out that Hikari would do things for him, but that he couldn't take her for granted."

Shinji just stared at Asuka completely dumfounded about how simple the logic was and that he had been completely oblivious to it – even when it had been happening to him. "That's . . . just brilliant."

"Of course, it is. Have you forgotten who you're talking to?" teased Asuka.

"The smartest, most beautiful girl in school? Queen of all she surveys? How could I forget?"

"Glad you're finally crawling out of the dark depths of baka-ness, Baka-kun," responded Asuka before leaning in to give him a kiss.

Shinji's brain immediately made another jump to another event leading into band practice. Hikari had asked him what kind of music demanded the best harmonies so they could do one of those songs at practice to shore up their sagging tonal abilities. Shinji was more than a little surprised, but ended up with Motown as the best candidate. Hikari's eyes went a little vacant as she thought about it and then flashed with energy as she came to sudden agreement. Of course, this meant that Shinji had to immediate turn to the web to find an appropriate song for the group.

Another jump and Shinji was at band practice. The group had a karaoke track of the music, and the boys all stood at microphones with monitor speakers to sing The Temptation's "My Girl". They'd spent the better part of an hour practicing general harmony and singing sections of the song. This was the first, full run-through with feeling. But, unknown to the girls, Shinji had forwarded a video to Toji and Kensuke and the three of them had practiced some of the choreography.

_I've got sunshine  
On a cloudy day.  
When it's cold outside,  
I've got the month of May.  
Well, I guess you'll say  
What can make me feel this way?_

_My girl. (My girl, my girl)  
Talkin' 'bout my girl. (My girl)_

It was like a bad loop of the 1950's with Toji, Kensuke, and Shinji trying to mimic the stylized choreography of the Motown groups. Hikari, Asuka, Yuki, and Rei tried in vain to hold straight faces and critically evaluate the boys' harmonies, but after the first big flourish the four of them just burst out in a giggle fit.

_I've got so much honey  
The bees envy me.  
I've got a sweeter song  
Than the birds in the trees._

_Well, I guess you'll say  
What can make me feel this way?  
My girl. (My girl, my girl)  
Talkin' 'bout my girl. (My girl)_

_Ooooh, Hoooo._

Shinji's voice climbed the registers with a pure, clean tonal quality that surprised everyone. They'd never really heard him show this kind of range or clarity, and the Shinji magic that they thought themselves immune to was beginning to reassert itself.

_Hey, hey, hey.  
Hey, hey, hey._

_I don't need no money,  
Fortune or fame.  
I've got all the riches, baby,  
One man can claim._

_Well, I guess you'll say  
What can make me feel this way?  
My girl. (My girl, my girl)  
Talkin' 'bout my girl. (My girl)_

_Talkin' bout my girl.  
I've got sushine on cloudy day  
With my girl.  
I've even got the month of May  
With my girl._

Shinji's brain did another leap and brought him back to the hot water and steam of the onsen. The tension had mostly melted away and Shinji was starting to feel almost human again when a familiar presence slipped into the water next to him. Opening his eyes with a start to immediately have to focus on Asuka's face, a part of Shinji noted that Asuka had gone traditional Japanese and had not worn a swimsuit while another part stammered, "A-Asuka? What are you doing?"

Sliding her arms around him and silencing his protests with a kiss, Asuka then softly replied, "I knew you'd be here, and I figured that you'd had long enough by yourself. Besides, I had to get away from Misato flirting with guys in the restaurant and Rei sulking because I got to bring my boyfriend and she didn't."

"Rei's sulking about not getting to bring Hideyoshi? That doesn't make any sense."

"It's supposed to make sense. It's emotion, silly."

"Heh, right."

Silence punctuated by the tinkling of dripping water engulfed the pair as they snuggled together in the warm water. The soft sounds and the isolation took them back to their private time before everyone had started returning and created a much needed refuge against the world.

Surprisingly, it was Shinji to break the silence with a barely audible whisper, "Always be with me, my love."

"Always," was Love's reply as she slid into his lap and kissed him.

* * *

-

-

* * *

**Author's Parting Shots**: Sorry for the delay, I went on vacation for a couple of weeks out of the country and had exactly zero access – no computer, no trips to the hotel business center – it was fantastic.

So, we've now closed the book on the Junior High adventures of our favorite teens. I'm going to go off and think about the High School story arcs for a little while. The story is still not dead, but it may be as much as a month before the next chapter.


	21. Tuning and Leveling

"**We're The Band"  
Chapter 20: Tuning and Leveling**

* * *

_Tokyo-3 Metropolitan High School – Day 2 of Classes_

* * *

Hikari and Rei stood in the empty, and now, clean classroom. Hikari, as the newly elected class representative, and Rei, first up in the alphabetical listing, had drawn cleanup up duty for the first week. Being only the second day of school, the room had started off fairly clean, so the daily cleanup went quickly. In fact, Hikari and Rei were taking a short moment to stare out the windows of their top floor classroom and down at the courtyard below. Of course, the first thing to stand out was Asuka's red hair from where she and Shinji were waiting. 

"Have you noticed the little bubble around Shinji and Asuka?" Rei wondered out loud.

Hikari glanced over at the younger Ikari and the totality of the changes of the last couple of months. First, there was the name. Rei had firmly put her foot down that she would no longer be known by the name "that man" had given her. In fact, she lobbied Misato vigorously to have her name changed officially. Though skeptical about the reasoning, Misato had finally acquiesced to keep the family peace. Unknown to Misato, Rei had seriously considered taking 'Katsuragi' as her new name but had shelved it in preference for 'Ikari' for reasons only known to her.

Then, came the hair style changes. Rei's had allowed her hair to grow out over the break, and it, now, came down past her shoulders. It had gone through a variety of styles and colors in the past weeks, and had finally settled on a deep purple similar to Misato's and kept in a French braid. Coupled with the new high school uniforms – jackets, white shirts, oversized red bow ties for girls, and knee length skirts – it was like a totally different girl in appearance had joined their group of friends.

"What do you mean?" queried Hikari as she turned back to the window and tried to see the effect that Rei was pointing out.

"See Shinji sitting on the planter wall around the tree with Asuka standing in front of him striking poses?"

"Yeah . . . "

"See how everyone alters their path as they walk by to keep a respectful, minimum distance from both of them and how no one is really brave enough to pass between Shinji and Asuka?"

Hikari stood and watched the tiny figures of students walking along their paths only to alter their direction as they approached the couple below – just as Rei had observed. Particularly obvious was the fact that many of the girls would openly stare at Shinji but carefully avoid getting between Shinji and Asuka after the previous day's incident.

The previous day had been filled with forms, book distribution, rules, and other mundane tasks associated with starting the school year. Thanks to some "suggestions" from NERV, Hikari, Toji, Asuka, Rei, Shinji, and Kensuke were all together in the same class. However, the bulk of the students now in their class were new, but not unknown, to the close knit group of friends. Sometime in the middle of this, Asuka and Rei had to leave the room as "those designated to go get more meaningless paper from the administration" and during this time, some of the girls decided that they would go and make friends with Shinji.

It seemed that for Rei, Asuka, and Shinji, they're reputations had preceded them, and the stories about Asuka's protectiveness were all thought to be overblown or at least overcome by the idea of talking to the current teen idol. Of course, for these girls, their timing could not have been scripted any better. They had all just arrived in a cluster around Shinji's desk as Asuka walked back into the room. Seeing the startled look on Shinji's face, Asuka had roughly the same reaction a mother bear has when someone gets between her and her cub.

A bellowed German curse filled with anger and indignation filled the tiny room causing the girls to turn and freeze like rabbits facing the snake. Luckily, Hikari intervened before anyone received anything more than a bruise or two. With the furniture righted and the far flung papers recovered and distributed, the classroom returned to something resembling normal in time for the next teacher's arrival. However, Asuka spent most of the remaining time before lunch glaring at her classmates as they tried to make themselves disappear.

Shaking her head to return from her trip into the recent past, Hikari said, "Well, after word of yesterday passed around, everyone believes the stories about Asuka's temper, and with Section 2 conspicuously stationed outside the gate, no one wants to tempt Fate."

"Typhoon Asuka."

"Rei!"

"What?" returned Rei with a look of pure innocence.

"You shouldn't say things like that."

"You're right. It was wasted since she wasn't up here to hear it."

"That's not what I meant!"

"I know, but it's so much fun to get you all riled up," smiled Rei.

"You're as bad as Asuka. I think I'm going to talk to Shinji about how his girlfriend is such a bad influence on his sister."

The conversation between Rei and Hikari continued as they made their way downstairs.

* * *

_Schoolyard_

* * *

Shinji was standing rigid before Asuka as she scrutinized his school uniform like a sergeant major on inspection. Her critical eye scanned upward from his polished dress shoes to his freshly pressed, black slacks to his high colored black jacket with brightly polished brass buttons. She frowned slightly when she noticed that the clasp of the collar was undone. As her eyes pulled back, she noticed that while Shinji was still slim, his shoulders had started to broaden filling out his jacket. 

"Well, Shinji-kun, you haven't destroyed your school clothes, and you've managed to maintain a respectable image."

Shinji relaxed and gave her a little smile. "You look nice in your new uniform as well."

"Of course I look nice," replied Asuka with mock sarcasm and a winning smile.

Shinji's smile broadened. It wasn't so long ago that Asuka's comment would have been delivered at the end of a fist to punctuate her annoyance.

Asuka stood to greet Hikari and Rei. The four of them stood chatting while waiting for Toji and Kensuke, especially Kensuke. He'd sent some cryptic email that he had thought of a wonderful idea for the band and they needed to talk about it.

Kensuke was chatting on his phone as he and Toji rounded the corner carrying some drinks from the nearby vending machines. Kensuke was obviously talking to Yuki. The rest of the group had privately thought that the relationship wouldn't last now that they were in different schools, but it seemed to be holding up thanks to modern telecommunications. As he closed his phone, Kensuke had a bit of a goofy, far away look that only left his face as Toji punched him in the shoulder bringing him back to reality. Putting on a bit of a sheepish grin, Kensuke apologized to his laughing friends.

"So, Kensuke, what was so important that it couldn't wait until we were all together?" demanded Toji.

Kensuke immediately launched into a long, detailed description of web based services, how various types of media could be served, and how all of this related to general marketing. Everyone's eyes began to glaze over with the exception of Asuka. She had the educational background to get what Kensuke was saying even if she wasn't terribly interested in the technical details. The last straw for her was when Shinji decided to rub his fingers on the back of her hand, and having decided that Kensuke had gotten enough of the techie stuff out of his system, Asuka decided to take control of the situation in, for her, a relatively diplomatic way.

"Kensuke, what's the point of all of this techno-babble?"

Startled out of his monologue, Kensuke glanced around at his friends and noticed the state they were in. Taking a deep breath, he started over.

"I think we should put up a web site for the band and allow people to download our music."

Everyone stared at Kensuke dumfounded. The first to recover was Hikari.

"Why should we give the music away for free?"

"Because, we don't own the rights to the music, so if we sold them, we'd be in violation of a bunch copyrights."

"So, how does this help us again if we're not making money off of the downloads?"

"We can track the number of hits and downloads and gauge our popularity. We may even be able to get a recording contract out of it or by selling anything we write ourselves."

The small group of friends cast speculative looks at Kensuke and each other. The sound of gears grinding could be heard from each of their heads as they all considered the possibilities. Shinji, however, donned a fairly skeptical look and halted the thoughts.

"Ok. Let's go home and think about this. There's no hurry."

* * *

_Homework Time – Home_

* * *

As the three teens finished packing up their completed assignments, Asuka noticed that Shinji had been abnormally quiet and a little distant. Rei and Asuka had been exchanging glances about Shinji most of the evening. With her patience at an end, Asuka was beaten to the punch by Rei. 

"Shinji, what is bothering you?"

Shaken from his reverie, Shinji looked around more than a little embarrassed.

"Oh, uh, well, the principal asked to see me tomorrow morning before school."

"About what?" demanded Asuka.

"That's the thing. I don't know. I just got the email summons to show up and nothing else. We haven't been at the school long enough to have done anything wrong."

Asuka crossed her arms and let out a little "Hmmph!" as she sat and thought about the summons. Rei just rolled her eyes and went for a drink of water.

Noticing that Asuka was working herself up for something, Shinji reached out and, taking hold of her hand, gently pulled her over to him.

"It's ok. It's only the third day of classes and I can't think of anything that I did wrong."

-

-

* * *

**Author's Parting Shots**: So, with all of life's craziness, I went through multiple iterations of the plot – what I would recycle, when things would happen – you know the drill. I think I've gone through enough iterations to be able to kick things off. I think it's going to be a wild ride. 


	22. Dirty Deeds

"**We're The Band"  
Chapter 21: Dirty Deeds**_  
_

* * *

_Roof - Lunchtime_

* * *

Asuka had gone in search of Shinji. He had not come to morning classes after his meeting with the Principal, and Asuka's worry meter had pegged out. Having quickly worked her way through the building, her last location was the roof. As she squinted at the bright sunlight, she recognized the familiar figure of Shinji standing at the railing surrounding the edge of the roof. 

As she approached, Asuka noticed that Shinji's knuckles were white on the railing; his back was rigid, and she could see his jaw muscles working as he practically shook with stress. Wrapping her arms around his chest as she hugged him tightly from behind, she brushed her nose against his ear and was rewarded with a sigh as the tension washed from him.

Shinji had been staring sightlessly out at the horizon trying to control the frustration and anger from his meeting with the principal. With Asuka's arrival, a comforting presence reasserted itself, and he placed his hands over hers as he regained a semblance of composure. There was a fleeting moment when he wondered if this was why his father had been so willing to sacrifice everything to regain his lost wife. A shudder went through Shinji on that realization, and he focused on the warm presence at his back and the soft breath against his neck to distract himself from the unwanted comparison.

"Shinji, do you want to tell me about it?"

* * *

_Principal's Office – Morning_

* * *

Shinji had been waiting most of the morning for the principal to call him. It was obviously some sort of power game. Shinji recognized it as the same sort of thing his father would have done and had seen it in action around NERV. Misato had warned him about this sort of thing and that knowledge allowed Shinji to sit calmly and do a version of meditation. 

Shinji wasn't sure how long he sat on the bench in the teacher's area waiting for the door to the principal's office to open with his summons. He did realize in watching the flow of teachers in and out of the area that he had been there at least a couple of hours. In fact, he had watched with an idle curiosity as some other students were ushered into and, subsequently, out of the principal's office.

When the moment finally arrived, he walked stiffly to the chair indicated by the principal through a brusque waive of his hand and something approaching a grunt.

"Ikari, let me get right to the point. I don't like you, your guardian, or how the organization you work for came in here demanding special treatment for you."

Shinji had been taught some very expensive poker lessons - expensive by the standards of a boy who had never had any money - by the agents on the security detail. Those lessons kept his face an expressionless mask, but the emotions had begun to seethe within Shinji. Unbidden, the words of AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" began to underscore his thoughts to go with his clenched fists below the edge of the principal's desk.

_If your havin' trouble with your high school head  
He's givin' you the blues  
You wanna graduate but not in 'is bed  
Here's what you gotta do -_

_Pick up the phone  
I'm here alone  
Call me any time  
36 24 36 (slaver)  
I lead a life of crime_

"I don't appreciate having the classes my students are assigned to 'suggested' to me and my staff. I have also discussed your disciplinary file with your previous principal and let me assure you that you will receive no such leniency from me for altercations on school grounds."

_Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap  
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap  
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap  
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap_

_Your havin' problems in your life of love  
You got a broken heart  
He's double dealin' with your best friend  
That's when the teardrops start -_

_Pick up the phone  
I'm here alone  
Or make a social call  
Come right in_

_Forget about him  
We'll have ourselves a ball_

The principal paused here to closely observe the student in front of him. Normally, students showed obvious signs of fear or at least stress. This boy in front of him merely looked back with a calmness that could almost be called serene, but unknown to the principal, Shinji's nails had dug deep into the palms of his hands as his fists trembled with rage not fear. Having been a primary focus during what was essentially Armageddon, an angry bureaucrat created no feelings of fear or intimidation, but they did create feelings of annoyance. A little put off by this, the principal launched once more at this new challenge.

_Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap  
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap  
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap  
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap_

_If you got a lady but you want her gone  
But you ain't got the guts  
She keeps naggin' you night and day  
Enough to drive you nuts -_

_Pick up the phone  
Leave her alone  
It's time you made a stand  
For a fee I'll be happy to be  
Your back door man_

"Ikari, I have my eye on you. I don't like disruptions to the normal flow of activities here at this school. Your special circumstances and non-standard schedule are, in my opinion, an enormous disruption. I will not allow you to derail the educational process! Get out of my office," roared the principal with a thunderous slap to the desk.

While startled at the theatrics and the desk pounding, Shinji merely stood and said, "Yes, sir."

_Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap  
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap  
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap  
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap_

_Concrete shoes, cyanide, TNT  
Done Dirt Cheap  
Neckties, contracts, high voltage  
Done Dirt Cheap_

Shinji found himself on the roof of the school, unable to face his classmates while the frustration boiled and seethed within him. The embarrassment and indignation were almost too much to take, and in this state is where Asuka found him.

* * *

_Present_

* * *

Although furious, Asuka focused on the feel of Shinji's hands – warm and rough with musician's calluses, yet gentle and soothing. It was a pleasant distraction that allowed the powerful, deductive part of her mind assert itself. 

"Shinji?"

Eyes closed, Shinji's only response was a soft, "Hmmm?"

"We've been 'dressed down' by the best of them including 'The B-', um, your father and Fuyutski. What else did the principal say that has you so upset?"

Shinji paused in his contemplation of the tranquility that descended on him with the mere arrival of Asuka. Turning within her arms to return the embrace, Shinji's voice was strangely light. "You would have thought that I would have figured out by now that I can't hide anything from you," was his reply as he nuzzled her hair.

"You're avoiding my question, Baka-kun. I'll have to make you pay later for doubting my supremacy."

Shinji took a moment to gather himself – not so much for what he was going to say, but against what he thought the response would be. "Well, he did make a veiled threat against you and Rei. Something along the lines of being additional pressure points to make me do what he wants."

Shinji was more than a little surprised that the nuclear event he had braced himself for, did not come to pass. Opening his eyes, he saw a pair of slightly amused eyes staring back at him.

"Shinji, you're such an adorable baka," laughed Asuka as she cupped Shinji's cheek. "You're just the messenger. I am angry at the principal not you. But, right now, I'm thinking that we should provide a much more . . . calculated response. First steps to that end are to talk to Rei and Misato. We should be able to come up with a suitable response." A little chill ran down Shinji's spine as Asuka finished off her last statement with a feral grin. He had watched the three of them scheme with a morbid fascination as truly chilling punishments were devised and deliveries planned.

Shinji had noticed that Asuka was much more calculated in her responses now. He secretly suspected that the burden of leadership placed on her by Misato pushed that more than the "I'm just more mature now" answer that he had received.

"But, it's lunch time, and our friends are worried that you weren't in class," continued Asuka with a gentle tug at Shinji's arm breaking his reverie.

* * *

_NERV – Almost Dinner Time_

* * *

Shinji, Rei, and Asuka had just gathered on the main gangways after one of the first sync tests with the LCL substitute. Although it was a short test, the group is visibly tired. 

"That stuff is nastier than LCL," declared Asuka as she tried to squeeze the foul liquid out of her hair. "It's going to take forever to get this crud off of us."

"At least it doesn't smell like blood. That was just disgusting," replied Shinji as he chose to just stand and drip.

"Like this _unique_ smell that Ibuki's discovered is better," shot Rei referencing her current favorite movie – _Star Wars: A New Hope_ – that she considered a classic and had practically worn out the DVD. "It's just an _amazing_ blend of so many of my _favorite_ smells like sweat and dirty gym socks."

Shinji stared in utter surprise at the amount of sarcasm dripping off of Rei's comments. "I think you've spent too much time around Misato."

"I need a shower even though I doubt I'll ever feel clean," came from Asuka.

"We could scrub for ages and probably still stink," agreed Rei taking Asuka's cue on ignoring Shinji.

Shinji just stood and watched as the two headed to the showers, their voices fading into the background noise of machinery. He headed in roughly the same direction to the men's locker room lost in thought. Asuka and Rei had spent most of the trip to NERV plotting and strategizing against the school. They had some creative and, in some cases, frightening ideas. Their little group did keep stalling out as they tried to determine exactly what they wanted to achieve with their attack plan on the principal. Total domination of the school seemed possible, but just not really worth the effort.

Shinji continued to think about this as he stood under the hot shower. Unaware of how long he had stood under the pounding spray, he simply exited to notice that while he was drying off, his fingers had pruned.

Dressed and de-odorized, Shinji made his way to the break room rendezvous point only to find that he still had beaten Rei and Asuka out of the shower even after his day dreaming. With a sigh, he stretched out on the couch to await their arrival, ultimately, drifting off into a little nap like every other teenage boy.

* * *

**Author's Parting Shots:** Well, this took longer than I expected - real life excuses and all that. I did decide to make each chapter a little shorter to, hopefully, be able to bring them out faster. 


	23. Pretty Woman in a Town Called Malice

"**We're The Band"  
Chapter 22: Pretty Woman in a Town Called Malice**

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to the songs, the trademarks for the products mentioned, any rights to the product or Evangelion. There. It's done now.

* * *

_Park Café - Evening_

* * *

The group had gathered in their new, favorite spot: the café owned by Yuki's parents. It was near the park they seemed to habitually end up lounging in, and Yuki's parents didn't hurry them along like the other restaurants in the area. It didn't hurt that they had three things going for them: Kensuke was Yuki's boyfriend; they all paid for what they ate even though Yuki's parents repeatedly offered to treat them; and their presence had been a huge boon for business. Most of the other first years had started hanging around the café as well since the upper classmen had not found it and, now, wouldn't be caught dead in a "first year hangout".

It was more crowded than usual since the group was going to give a little concert – the odd brainchild of Hikari and Kensuke.

* * *

_Park Café – 3 Weeks Ago_

* * *

Rei, Asuka, and Shinji sat at a table on the patio of the café awaiting the arrival of the rest of their friends. A scheming session was in full swing.

" . . . so, I'm pretty sure from the review of Section 2 dossiers that the principal isn't a part of a terror organization," concluded Rei. "Section 2 is a lot better now and probably would never have let him remain the principal of our school if there was anything odd in his background." With that final statement, Rei closed her Hello Kitty notebook with a snap. Shinji quickly dragged his attention back from the surreal scene of an intelligence briefing from a Hello Kitty notebook to Asuka's voice.

"Shinji and I have watched him off and on since the 'interview', and he seems pretty normal," added Asuka. "I think he's just a little control freak who's jealous that my Shinji has a pretty sister, a pretty girlfriend, and is successful. All the things he didn't have in his pathetic childhood."

"Whose pathetic childhood?" inquired Hikari who had appeared with Toji, Kensuke, and Yuki in tow.

"We're just complaining about the principal," covered Shinji. The group shared a short laugh. They had all complained extensively about the principal, Hikari most of all due to her class representative responsibilities.

Kensuke had been fidgeting all during the conversation as the topics ranged across all of the usual subjects. Finally, Asuka had enough, "Spill it, Stooge. Do you have to pee or what?"

Yuki stifled a giggle as she took hold of Kensuke's hand under the table to get him to calm down. Asuka's barbs had lost much of their harshness amongst the group of friends, but Asuka's tongue was still sharp and deadly to those who crossed her – as some of Yuki's friends found out the hard way.

Hikari broke in. "Asuka. Everyone. Kensuke asked me about holding a concert here in the café and web-casting it from a link on the band's web page. We think we can reach a couple of thousand people that way. If we record some of the songs Shinji's been writing, we could sell them from the website."

The discussion ranged far and wide at that point. What would the set list be? What would everyone wear? How would they get the word out? How would they keep the Seniors from disrupting the event? After talking well into the evening with plans in place the small group adjourned to tackle the mountains of homework they had all been ignoring.

* * *

_Park Café - Evening_

* * *

A couple of Yuki's friends had grabbed the video cameras Kensuke had set up and were positioning themselves to film the concert. A small stage area had been created on the café patio and the crowd spilled out into the park itself. At a small table overlooking the stage area, Misato and Mr. Machida, the Tokyo Philharmonic Conductor, sat enjoying coffee and pastry as they awaited the concert.

"Katsuragi-san, thanks for inviting me to this event. It's a nice change of pace from the grind of the Philharmonic."

"You're welcome, Machida-san. After the opportunity you gave Shinji, it was the least I could do. Besides, this is a side of Shinji, I don't think you get to see during rehearsal."

"I'm actually very curious about this. I've noticed that some of the younger women from the orchestra are here as well," commented Machida glancing around the now crowded café area. "Although, after talking to Shinji, I gather this is all very new to him."

"If you're talking about his overall personality, I would agree. He's always been a shy, hang back in the crowd person, almost a loner, really. It hasn't been until recently that he's worked through some of the issues from when he was younger. Plus, I think the confidence that he's gained through having friends now and a fairly feisty girlfriend has helped a lot."

"He's actually opened up to me about Asuka and told me a little of their story. I'm constantly amazed by how mature Shinji is and how much the two of them are in love."

"You're right about that. Both of them have matured so much! It's like they're 16 going on 36. I will admit, though, that it means that I went from refereeing shouting matches and temper tantrums to worrying about having grandkids!"

The rest of their conversation was drowned out by the roar of the fans as Shinji, Asuka, Kensuke, and Rei all took their places on stage. They had changed out of their school uniforms, but for most of their classmates, the biggest shockers were Rei and Shinji. Rei had dressed much more like Asuka – feminine clothing that was a little daring. Shinji, on the other hand, had, for him, practically gone grunge. He had some faded and worn jeans, a hoodie with the hood up, and beat up sneakers.

After a short tune-up and sound check, Shinji got the signal from Hikari and Yuki that the webcast had gone live.

"Welcome everyone both here at the Takeda Park Café and out there on the webcast. First, we'd like to thank Yuki Takeda and her family for hosting our first webcast concert. Without further ado, we'd like to do one of Rei's favorite tunes, 'A Town Called Malice' by The Jam."

With that, Rei started the extended bass intro bouncing up and down to the beat, hair swirling as she shook her head lost in the music. The pounding bass rhythms triggered the primal reactions in the crowd of students as they began to jump up and down with Rei. Hikari, manning the video mixing station, switched between a long shot of the crowd to a closer shot of Rei. As Toji's drums took up the rhythms, Miyako pulled back from the solo shot of Rei to encompass the whole band as planned. The timing couldn't have been better. As she finished the pull back, Shinji stepped up to the microphone stand, grabbed the microphone with both hands, and launched into the first verse.

_Better stop dreaming of the quiet life -  
cos it's the one we'll never know  
And quit running for that runaway bus -  
cos those rosey days are few  
And - stop apologizing for the things you've never done,  
Cos time is short and life is cruel -  
but it's up to us to change  
This town called malice._

The amps had been turned way up to what felt like stadium levels, but the crowd noise still threatened to drown them out. Shinji struggled to hear his voice on the monitors, but then just threw himself into the lyrics. It was a strange combination of upbeat melody and curiously angry, almost depressing lyrics, and the duality resonated within Shinji, Asuka, and Rei. Their identification with the overall construction of the song manifested in their powerful performance. So powerful was the association with this song that, after the first verse, Shinji immediately began to dance and work the stage like he was in a mosh pit resulting in the hood flying back off his head revealing newly bleached hair that Asuka had spiked. Miyako captured a close up of Shinji's new look as he stepped back up to the microphone to be heard over the screamed approval of his new look from the girls in his class that had pressed to the front.

_Rows and rows of disused milk floats  
stand dying in the dairy yard  
And a hundred lonely housewives clutch empty milk  
bottles to their hearts  
Hanging out their old love letters on the line to dry  
It's enough to make you stop believing when tears come  
fast and furious  
In a town called malice._

_Struggle after struggle - year after year  
The atmosphere's a fine blend of ice -  
I'm almost stone cold dead  
In a town called malice._

Hikari was just astounded as she monitored the video streaming statistics. In just the first thirty seconds of the song, the number of streams had more than doubled and had climbed over five hundred. Hits to the band's web site continued to climb as well. A brief moment of panic hit Hikari and she double checked that the video stream was being recorded for later playback. The green status light on the recording program brought a small sigh of relief to her. She was brought back to the concert as Shinji's voice came back through the headphones.

_A whole street's belief in Sunday's roast beef  
gets dashed against the Co-op  
To either cut down on beer or the kids new gear  
It's a big decision in a town called malice._

_The ghost of a steam train - echoes down my track  
It's at the moment bound for nowhere -  
just going round and round  
Playground kids and creaking swings -  
lost laughter in the breeze  
I could go on for hours and I probably will -  
but I'd sooner put some joy back  
In this town called malice._

As the song died away, Shinji stepped back from the microphone and the entire band took a quick bow. He continued through their plan – he introduced everyone in the band and, after introducing Asuka, had to bite back the irrational urge to beat every boy in the audience that screamed her name. Shinji trusted Asuka and believed, without question, when she said that they would be together forever, but that didn't change the fact that after all that they had been through, he would do everything in his power to protect that relationship.

As he continued to scan the crowd, he caught sight of Misato, Machida-san, and the bridge crew who gave wild catcalls and piercingly loud whistles as he introduced Rei and Asuka.

They progressed through the set until they neared the end and Shinji returned to the microphone to provide some commentary. With a brief sip of water, he addressed the audience.

"So, we had been hanging out and decided to watch some old movies. Somehow, this old movie came on that was like a remake of that old story where a poor girl is transformed into a socialite and wins the heart of her rich benefactor. This song dates back to the 1960's and it's got a great feel to it even today. So, grab on to your significant others. This is 'Pretty Woman' by Roy Orbison."

Shinji had stomped on a couple of his distortion pedals to clean up the sound and give his guitar and almost steel slide guitar feel. With a quick nod to Toji, the country twang of the tune began to reverberate through the night air.

_Pretty woman, walking down the street  
Pretty woman, the kind I like to meet  
Pretty woman  
I don't believe you, you're not the truth  
No one could look as good as you  
Mercy_

_Pretty woman, won't you pardon me  
Pretty woman, I couldn't help see  
Pretty woman  
That you look lovely as can be  
Are you lonely just like me  
Wow_

Shinji growled the "wow" just like Roy Orbison more out of imitation than anything planned, so he was completely unprepared for the fan reaction. High pitched screaming erupted from every girl under sixteen and a push towards the stage commenced. Even Asuka, Rei, Hikari, and Yuki were flustered at the raw emotion that throaty warble had engendered not just in the crowd but in themselves. Unnoticed by the teens on stage, Machida gave a speculative look around the audience noting the reaction to his young, mid-chair cellist. Interesting thoughts swirled in Machida's mind and he pulled out a small notebook and furiously scribbled some ideas before jamming it back into his pocket.

_Pretty woman, stop a while  
Pretty woman, talk a while  
Pretty woman, gave your smile to me  
Pretty woman, yeah yeah yeah  
Pretty woman, look my way  
Pretty woman, say you'll stay with me  
'Cause I need you, I'll treat you right  
Come with me baby, be mine tonight_

_Pretty woman, don't walk on by  
Pretty woman, make me cry  
Pretty woman, don't walk away, hey...okay  
If that's the way it must be, okay  
I guess I'll go on home, it's late  
There'll be tomorrow night, but wait  
What do I see  
Is she walking back to me  
Yeah, she's walking back to me  
Oh, oh, Pretty woman_

* * *

_Later That Evening_

* * *

The group of friends had just finished cleaning up after the concert. Bags of trash had been sorted and placed on the street for pickup. Chairs had been stacked on tables, and Shinji and Toji had just finished mopping up.

Kensuke and Hikari had been spared most of the physical labor as they plowed through the statistics and comments on the band's website. As the small group got back together, it was apparent that they had a hit event and had reached thousands of listeners.

Yawns and sore muscles stifled any additional conversation as the elated group of teens broke for the evening and promised to get back together soon.

* * *

**Author's Parting Shots:** So, this simple scene took me a while to actually put down in text. I don't seem to be getting as much time to write as I would like. Bear with me, because this little ride will keep going, just not quite as fast. 


	24. All That I Want Reprise

**"We're the Band"**

**Chapter 23: All I Want - Reprise**

* * *

_Katsuragi Apartment - After the Cafe Concert_

* * *

Asuka sat on the floor of the living room watching a J-Drama she had recorded earlier. Misato and Rei had already gone to bed - Misato after getting some letters written and Rei after another marathon telephone call with Hideyoshi. Shinji had sprawled out on the floor with his head in Asuka's lap., and after just five minutes of the drama, he was sleeping peacefully snuggled against the flannel of her pajama bottoms.

Asuka turned down the sound on the television to just above a whisper and idly stroked Shinji's newly blonde hair with one hand. She felt Shinji twitch and looked down to see his peaceful face bathed in the flickering light of the television. That odd picture reminded her of another time Shinji had been in a similar position on a beach, and Asuka had spent a lot of time watching his face in the flickering light of their camp fire. It was on one of those nights that she had done a great deal of soul searching. Asuka's eyes unfocused and the drama played forgotten as the sight of Shinji tugged at her heart strings and brought forth a familiar ache in her chest that recalled that monumental night.

The two of them had just had another of the long conversations where they had admitted that they were friends but, to their mutual frustration, had stopped just short of admitting that they had loved each other. Asuka had sat wondering what the dull ache in her chest really meant and spent some time rocking back and forth with her hands clutched to her chest as she wrestled with what her feelings really were. A part of her longed for the warmth and security that Shinji's love would offer, and that part was at war with the part of her that feared being abandoned again.

The decisive moment in that struggle was the realization that she wanted something different that what she had in the past and that wanting that difference didn't invalidate the past - it just made it another step in the journey. Asuka had stared at Shinji's face and with that major obstacle overcome the smaller victories over the loneliness and insecurity came fast and furious. She began to see opportunity and a future instead of completition.

Another twitch from Shinji brought Asuka back to the present. With a small smile, she placed one hand on his heart and the other went back to stroking his hair. She could feel the warmth of his chest on her hand as she turned back to the ending of the drama. The rhythm of his heart played to her hand, steadying her thoughts like a soft metronome. As the theme music began to play, Shinji twitched again and clutched at her hand. He started to mumble something and his face tensed up. It was obvious he was having a bad dream of some kind.

"Shhh," whispered Asuka as she stroked his hair. "It's okay."

As Asuka watched for signs that the dream was passing, she thought about all that Shinji had endured. His father. Eva. The loneliness. Her abuse. He had endured it all, and when given the choice of having that pseudo-happy life or taking the risk to be with her, he had chosen her, just as he had leapt into the volcano after her. His choices spoke about the quiet resolve in him. A small laugh escaped her as she realized what extremes it took to force him to actually make the choices back then. It was a good thing she was the Great Asuka Langley Sorhyu

"Shinji, it's just a dream."

Shinji clutched harder at her hand, and this time his sleepy mumble was audible – "No, Asuka, don't go." – an eerie echo of her own inner fears.

"Baka-chan, I'm here." On impulse, Asuka began to quietly sing to him.

_You say you want_

_Diamonds on a ring of gold_

_You say you want_

_Your story to remain untold_

_But all the promises we make_

_From the cradle to the grave_

_When all I want is you_

Asuka's voice was very soft. It was like a lullaby – intimate, soothing, personal, without a hint of self-consciousness.

_You say you'll give me_

_A highway with no one on it_

_Treasure just to look upon it_

_All the riches in the night_

_You say you'll give me_

_Eyes in a moon of blindness_

_A river in a time of dryness_

_A harbor in the tempest_

_But all the promises we make_

_From the cradle to the grave_

_When all I want is you_

Shinji's twitching slowed and his face began to relax. The nightmare was obviously passing. Still clutching Asuka's hand, Shinji rolled onto his side and curled up snuggling tighter against her outstretched legs.

_You say you want_

_Your love to work out right_

_To last with me through the night_

_You say you want_

_Diamonds on a ring of gold_

_Your story to remain untold_

_Your love not to grow cold_

_All the promises we break_

_From the cradle to the grave_

_When all I want is you_

She took another thoughtful look at Shinji. He was definitely maturing and discovering not only who he was but also who he wanted to be. But, Asuka had come to a startling realization. Shinji would always_need_ her. Even more important to Asuka was the realization that Shinji's need for her had nothing to do with strength or confidence or any of the other things she had mistakenly thought indicated maturity. It had nothing to do with the things that had initially drawn boys to her like physical appearance. It was the fact that who he wanted to be was someone with her.

"You'll always need me as much as I need you, and I'll be there," she whispered as she rewound her drama.

* * *

_Saturday Afternoon – Mall_

* * *

Toji, Shinji, and Kensuke were hanging out at the mall. Kensuke had reverted back to carrying his video camera everywhere, much to Toji's consternation. They had sat down for a snack at Kensuke's insistence. They had only just arrived, and it was odd to do food first. Before Kensuke could get started, Toji demanded an explanation on why Kensuke had started backsliding into carrying his camera everywhere.

Momentarily distracted from the purpose for having brought his friends to the shop, Kensuke launched into a disjointed description of his intention of becoming a film-maker and needing to practice his art, the need to create footage for the band's website, and something that sort of sounded like he liked taking pictures as a commentary on life. This rambling monologue merely created a grunt from Toji and a bemused look from Shinji.

"But, I really wanted to show Shinji something," declared Kensuke as he flipped the screen on the camera around for Shinji to see. Shinji put the ear buds in as Kensuke started the video. Some random images of the campus flashed by and then settled on Asuka talking to an older boy. They are in a music store and the video is through the store window, so the only audio is Yuki asking Kensuke if that is Asuka. Asuka laughs at something the boy says and touches his arm. The video then wobbles and cuts out as Kensuke obviously has some sort of issue.

Shinji took the ear buds out and merely looked inquiringly at Kensuke.

"Aren't you upset?" demanded Kensuke.

Toji, who had been watching over Shinji's shoulder, exclaimed, "Shinji, you've been betrayed!"

It was at this point that the girls – Asuka, Rei, Yuki, and Hikari – arrived for their own shopping excursion. Their timing, as always, was just exquisite.

"Betrayed, Shinji?" inquired Asuka.

Before Shinji could respond, Kensuke and Toji began to make accusations. Asuka merely crossed her arms and stared at the two of them like they had completely lost their minds. Rei began to argue extensively with both Toji and Kensuke, and Hikari and Yuki were mortified at the behavior of their significant others. Shinji waited for a lull in the argument and cleared his throat, "Um, guys, that's enough."

As order was mostly restored, Asuka had decided that it was time to have the conversation – with Shinji.

"Shinji-kun," began Asuka, "what's this all about?"

"Kensuke, replay the video." Shortly, thereafter, Shinji looked back at Asuka, "So, the question Captain Obvious and his sidekick posed to me is 'what's going on?'"

"Simple," asked Asuka, pointedly ignoring everyone else, "He's a store employee helping me out. He recognized me and is a fan of the band, so I tried to be nice."

Thankfully, glares from the other three girls helped Kensuke and Toji hold their tongues. It was not a conversation for them to take part in.

"Ok, but you do realize that the situation could be misconstrued," added Shinji with a meaningful glance at Toji and Kensuke.

"You trust me, don't you?"

"Of course I trust you," taking her hands in his, Shinji continued. "I believe in you and how much you love me."

Asuka sat down in Shinji lap to pull him into a crushing hug while burying her face in his neck. Lifting her lips to his ear, "I'm glad. All I ever want is you."

* * *

**Author's Parting Shots**: Nothing really important to say other than the next chapters are shaping up to be longer. 


	25. Living Life to a Soundtrack

"We're the Band"

Chapter 24: Living Life to A Soundtrack

_Evening - Takeda Parkside Cafe_

Kensuke had spent most of the afternoon sitting in a back corner of the café crouched over his laptop. Cables snaked from his computer to the video camera, the café's sound system, and the café's video display which was currently displaying just random commercial images of coffee drinks. The soft glow from his screen reflected off his glasses, hiding his eyes as he continued to focus on editing the images, video and music in front of him. He was in the zone. His computer was struggling to keep up, and he loved every second of it.

Kensuke leaned back in his chair rolling his head trying to loosen up his neck. As his eyes focused away from the screen, he was greeted with the image of Yuki arriving with glasses of orange juice for both of them on her serving tray. Kensuke was struck by the fact that with her hair pulled back into a pony tail and with her apron, Yuki was very cute when she smiled at him. It caused him to smile goofily at her.

Yuki had set aside her tray and sat at the back table to look at the first piece of video content Kensuke was putting together for the band's website. It was not the concert video footage that most fans would have expected. It was more of the candid video and stills from their various activities and some key segments of the concert footage edited together over the top of a pounding soundtrack that she didn't recognize. Yuki reached under the table to grab her book bag, and amidst the film composition books, she found her sketch pad. Flipping it to the marked pages she quickly compared the story board sketches she and Kensuke had worked out to the flow of the video. To Kensuke's surprise, Yuki could quickly and efficiently visualize and sketch his rambling scene compositions and bring a more accessible flow to his usually chaotic and random video shorts. He'd never really acknowledged the value of having a plan when editing his footage together, but with Yuki's help, Kensuke had to admit that the normally tedious process of editing video was much quicker.

"It looks like you're pretty close to the story boards. You've got scenes six and seven reversed, but it seems to work out fine," commented Yuki in her critique. Reaching out to re-run a couple of segments, Yuki continued "You're a little out of sync with the soundtrack impact points, but that should be easy to cleanup. I like it a lot." Yuki beamed at Kensuke, and they slapped a quick high five.

"Yuki, order up," called her dad. Yuki grabbed her tray and hurried to pick up the next drink order noticing that the group of friends had started to assemble in response to the text message she had sent earlier.

_Earlier – Around the Town_

Shinji and Asuka had been enjoying the rarest of all days – cool, crisp weather; no orchestra practice; no NERV responsibilities; no school responsibilities; no band practice – just time to themselves. They had slept in and then had lunch at a little out-of-the-way café Conductor Machida had suggested. It was a leisurely meal spent enjoying being with each other. It was a private time in a public place, and they had avoided the occasional fan.

The afternoon had been spent at the amusement park. They had gotten lots of stares in line and around the park. Shinji and Asuka were now moderately famous among the teen population of the city thanks in large part to the popularity of the band. Coupled with the fact that they stood out in crowds – Asuka because of her looks and Shinji being relatively tall amongst his peers – they were subject to some autograph hunting as well.

As they sat on the Ferris wheel over-looking the city, the sun caught Asuka's hair just right. Her hair just erupted into an auburn glow around her face as she turned to bestow a radiant smile on him while squeezing his hand. Shinji smiled back realizing just how comfortable together they had gotten. He thought back to the attention they had received on the other rides, and the stares of fans and just boys in general didn't trigger the jealous feelings anymore. He seemed used to the fact that his girlfriend was beautiful and would always attract attention and appreciation from boys. But, he knew that they were meant to be together and while she may enjoy the attention, Asuka was and always would be in love with him. In response to his smile, Asuka just leaned back into his shoulder and continued to gaze out across the city; his hand warm in hers.

They watched the sunset by the lake at their usual spot. The remains of a snack beside them as Asuka leaned back into Shinji's chest and soaked in the warmth. Both Asuka and Shinji had relished the time to themselves. Their relationship had blossomed in private and, typically, was renewed in private times away from their friends and family. Those private times had become extraordinarily precious as their public responsibilities seemed to always be on the rise.

Shinji and Asuka had chatted off and on about the future all afternoon. Everything from where they were going to go on vacation this year, to which colleges they wanted to attend, to what they wanted to do after college.

"Shinji, would you rather do classical music or modern?"

"I think classical. Maybe composition. Rock is fun, but it's more of a hobby than a love. What about you? I noticed you're not as enthusiastic about going into NERV."

"Well, it's getting boring," sighed Asuka triggering memories within Shinji of exactly how Asuka responds to boredom. "I don't think I'm really cut out for the military. I'm finding that regularly military life isn't like when we were EVA pilots. I don't like being bossed around, and the monotony is going to drive me crazy."

Shinji was secretly relieved at this revelation but was smart enough not to say or do anything. He just gently squeezed her shoulders as she pulled his arms closer to her.

"I'm still not sure what I want to do. I've actually been thinking about starting my own business instead of working for someone else. Right now, I just need to decide what my business focus will be. Maybe I'll go to business school and try and figure it out."

Before Shinji could respond, a faint buzz from Shinji's phone caught their attention. Shinji popped it open so they both could read the incoming message from Yuki. It basically wanted everyone to drop by the shop after dinner. She and Kensuke had something to show them.

"What do you think, Shinji? Should we grace them with our presence?"

"Since it's Yuki asking, we probably should stop by. If it had been Kensuke, I would have said no. We'd have been subjected to some sort of random, otaku thing."

_Gathering – Takeda Park Café_

Kensuke, having never been good at public speaking, merely sat behind the comforting wall of electronics as Yuki addressed the group of friends gathered at the café at one of the tables near the main television screen normally used for karaoke. The screen was currently dark, but had just had a series of test images and audio checks run through it to verify connectivity to Kensuke's electronics.

Yuki, obviously excited as evidenced by the fact that she was talking much faster than normal, " . . . so we've pulled together the first in a series of promotional videos that we're going to upload to the web site for the band. We decided against using lots of concert soundtracks and footage because we're putting those up as discrete videos they can download. We're going to have to address the copyright issue at some point because of all of the covers that we do, but I'm not sure we've even contacted the right intellectual property people because some of the owners and companies don't event exist as legal entities anymore."

Yuki's pause to take a breath couldn't have come at a better time. She got to see the impatient twitch over one of Asuka's eyes and the look from Rei that plainly said, "Focus and tell us why we're here."

Taking a deep breath, Yuki got back on task, "Anyways, here's the first edit of the video."

All eyes turned to the screen and as the staccato sounds of Tomoyasu Hotei's "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" began to pulse from the café's sound system, the tall red, blue, and purple letter's of the band's name began to pulse and fade onto the screen in time with the music first individually and then in groups. The big cymbal crescendo brought the full name and logo onto the screen.

The text faded with the crescendo and then dissolved into shot from the interior of the school yard aimed right at the main gate. The image wasn't on the screen more than half a second when the fortissimo entrance of the brass was well-timed with the appearance of Shinji, Asuka, and Rei turning the corner and coming through the gate three abreast. It was at this point that the Hikari's brain snapped to the day the video was shot and paused all of the activity around her.

It was the first time that they had seen their three friends in something approaching a normal demeanor. Shinji's uniform collar was unhooked and open. Asuka had spiked up his hair and Shinji was wearing the sunglasses that Rei had given him. They were black as night and completely hid his eyes giving him a cool factor that no other kid at the high school had been able to pull off. As shown in the quick frames of the video, Hikari had recalled that Shinji had his hands loosely in his pockets while coming into the school yard in a relaxed stroll, almost a strut. Hand loosely on Shinji's crooked elbow, Asuka strutted like a runway model. Tall. Elegant. Completely untouchable. On the other side of Shinji, wearing her NERV uniform beret in addition to her school uniform came Rei. Fluid. Graceful. Demanding equal attention from the other two. As Hikari's mind clicked out of "pause", she saw that Kensuke had actually slowed the footage so that the trio actually walked in time with the music.

The next blast of horns shifted the image away from the trio to Toji warming up on the drums in time to the music and Kensuke setting up his electronics. As the guitar melody unleashed its banshee-like wail, the footage jumped to Shinji from the first ever concert – foot on the monitor, hunched over his guitar, and driving chords in time with the soundtrack.

The rest of the video played out in a similar fashion – candid shots and video of the teens around the town. It was stylish and modern. Each of them was portrayed in some way including Yuki and Hikari. It was clear that the artistic talent and vision had really come from Yuki because of the subtle ways in which each of them was given polished, mature image – words that hadn't quite entered Kensuke's vocabulary despite Yuki's best efforts. The final scene was of Shinji and Asuka from the very first concert in the kiss that had scandalized their middle school, but it had been blurred and faded. Superimposed over the top of that image, was a headshot of Rei in her beret and sunglasses. The last action of the shot was Rei looking up at the camera, sliding her sunglasses down her nose to give a knowing, mysterious look up at the camera.

As the final notes died away and the video faded to black, the group almost as one turned to look at Yuki and Kensuke. There was a moment of quiet that was then broken by Asuka.

"Well, st . . . , Aida," Asuka amended after a pleading look from Yuki. "That wasn't half bad. I think Yuki has been a good influence on you. 'Bout time you came around."

"Not bad?" asserted Toji. "It was great! I loved it! The soundtrack was awesome. It was so appropriate." Turning to Shinji, Toji barreled on. "Shinji, you looked to cool. I remember lots of those times from school, and it's true. You guys look like music should be playing in the background."

Asuka was ready to annihilate Toji and disperse what little matter was left after the assault to the four winds, but was pre-empted by a throat clearing from Yuki and an elbow from Hikari.

"It's interesting that you say that," filled in Yuki. "When I story boarded the video, it was because I had noticed the same thing about all of you, but especially Shinji, Rei, and Asuka. It's like there's always a soundtrack or a background music to you whenever I see you."

Shinji, Asuka, and Rei sat in quiet contemplation. It was an interesting concept – to be living life to some sort of internal soundtrack.

**Author's Parting Shots**: Big experiment with this chapter. For those of you who don't know, the instrumental tune has shown up in a couple of places besides the original movie. It was the music in Kill Bill Vol. 1 when Uma Thurman fought the 99's and it's also the theme music for Colin Cowherd's show on ESPN Radio.


	26. Overture

"We're the Band"  
Chapter 25: Overture

* * *

_Friday Morning – Katsuragi Household_

* * *

Shinji was carrying a small travel bag and his cello case to the door under the watchful gaze of three sets of eyes clustered around the kitchen table. One set was thoughtful about far Shinji had come since the first time he had arrived in the apartment. The other two sets watched with varying degrees of annoyance and desire to go along.

"I think I'm all set to go," announced Shinji as he took his customary seat next to Asuka.

"I still don't understand why we all can't go, too," added Asuka to which Rei nodded her solidarity with wanting to go.

With a sigh, Misato put down her cup of tea. "We've been through this. He's going to be back tomorrow night. You, Rei, and I don't even have tickets to the performance. We've been to the other concerts, and we can miss one."

Asuka glanced at Shinji. One of his hands was trapped between both of hers. The other held the remainder of his toast. His face was obviously conflicted. He had already told her that he didn't want to go by himself, but he was excited about the concert. It was a paid performance for the Philharmonic and the pieces that had been selected were exciting. For Asuka, it was a small comfort that he wanted her to be there and wasn't looking forward to time away from her. In fact, when the trip had first come up, their conversation had revealed that neither of them wanted to spend extended time apart.

Asuka knew when she had to just cut her losses. She had backed Misato into a corner and pushing any further would just trigger an argument, and she just didn't have the emotional energy this morning to carry that through. To Misato's relief, Asuka just nodded and leaned over onto Shinji. The sudden feeling of lethargy was almost too much.

They were on the landing outside the door saying goodbye. Rei and Misato had gone back inside to get ready for the day leaving Asuka stroking Shinji's hair as he buried his face in her hair. She had a warm smile on her face as he continued to mumble that he didn't want to leave her.

"Silly baka. It's not that long. Just call me this afternoon, okay?"

"You always were tougher . . . "

Asuka gently pulled his face to hers for a small kiss. As the kiss broke, she felt him lean his forehead against hers. "_We_ were always tough enough. You should get going or you'll be late. Now, go before I change my mind and revoke your permission slip."

Shinji chuckled and stole one last kiss before he stooped to retrieve the cello and his bag.

Asuka watched him turn the corner and waved back to him as he paused before he passed out of sight. With a deep, cleansing breath, she too went inside to get ready for the day.

* * *

_Osaka Concert Hall – Afternoon_

* * *

Shinji was closing his cello case after what turned out to be a particularly grueling rehearsal in the venue. Everyone seemed a little out of sorts after the train ride. As they packed up, Shinji realized that it was a stroke of luck that their bags had been sent on ahead and that everyone had been checked into their rooms by the administrative staff. It was just one less thing to worry about.

Just as he closed the latches on his case, he noticed a pair of black flats appear in front of him. Standing, Shinji found himself face to face with Hisako, the section's principle cellist.

"Shinji, we're all planning on dinner as a section. We're going to meet in the lobby of the hotel about half an hour after we get in."

Shinji did some rapid calculus regarding time, the volatility of a certain red head, and the no nonsense principle cellist in front of him. "Um, okay."

"Good," with that, Hisako moved on to the next target.

Shinji was then engulfed in the chaos of an entire orchestra packing instruments on trucks and boarding buses to the hotel while trying to make sure that the truly important things – his wallet and mobile phone – stayed on his person and did not end up in some sort of Sea of Dirac associated with their equipment people.

The whirlwind of activity ended with him checked into his room, bag dropped on his bed, and sitting in the lobby awaiting the rest of the section. Deciding it was an opportune time to check in with the mother ship, he called Asuka. It was several rings before she picked up, and Shinji could just imagine her fumbling in her purse trying to retrieve her phone.

When she did pick up, he could tell that she was happy and more than a little relieved. "Hi Shinji-kun. How's the trip going so far?"

"Hi Asuka-chan. It's been pretty hectic. Rehearsal was brutal. We're all just not used to travelling," replied Shinji in a tired voice. His eyes, which had been watching the elevators for the rest of the section, unfocused as he started to relax and the two of them entered their own private space. "It's been less than a day, and I miss you."

"Baka, that's almost pathetic . . . but I miss you, too. Oh, Kensuke ran the stats from the band's website. We're over a hundred thousand hits, and the video has been downloaded more than seven hundred times. He's running some analysis software to try and find out who is doing the most downloading. Oddly enough, the majority of the addresses don't come from our school but seem to be from other high schools and junior highs in the area. And, class was pathetic. Rei and I wanted to throw ourselves out the window it was so boring."

Hearing something in her voice, Shinji frowned slightly. "Are you ok? Did something happen at school?"

"Hmm? No, why?"

"You just sound . . . I don't know . . . distracted?"

He heard her sigh softly over the noise on the line.

"You know me so well. That's not really fair. Women are supposed to be mysterious," replied Asuka. Shinji could see her small smile in his mind's eye. Versions of this exact conversation had played out many times before, but this was the first one over the telephone.

"And?"

". . . I got a phone call just before you called. It was Mama and Papa from Germany. They want all of us to visit soon."

"That sounds like fun. Why don't you sound excited about it?"

The line was quiet. Shinji's imagination called up images of Asuka twirling her hair around a finger as she contemplated her answer. It was something he had seen her do many times while on the phone with Hikari gossiping about whatever it was that girls gossip about that takes hours on the telephone.

"Well, you remember that Mama and I haven't been on the best of terms."

"But, you said that was getting better."

"It is, but it's still not great. I also think they really want to meet you and every girl dreads their parents meeting the boyfriend, and there's a paranoid part of me that thinks they'll make me stay in Germany once I'm there. Papa wasn't all that thrilled about letting me stay in Japan, originally."

"Asuka . . . "

"Ikari-kun!" interrupted Hisako as she and a few other section members appeared in front of Shinji.

"uhh . . . H-Hisako-sempai?" responded a surprised Shinji.

"Give me the phone."

"You want my phone?"

"Yes. I want to speak to Asuka-chan," demanded Hisako in a no-nonsense tone.

"um . . . ok," replied a now confused Shinji as he handed over his cell phone.

"Asuka-chan? It's Hisako. Are you well? Good," and Hisako half-turned away from Shinji, and he lost track of the conversation. Shinji sat in the chair more than a little confused. Asuka had met nearly everyone in the section in the intervening time since Shinji had joined and had really hit it off with Hisako of all people. To Shinji, it was probably because Hisako had a personality very much like Hikari's. They were both strong, take charge, and over-achieve but down to earth without the arrogance that sometimes came with authority.

Shinji was broken out of his reverie with the sudden appearance of his phone centimeters from his nose.

"Ikari-kun, tell Asuka-chan that you love her and let's go to dinner."

Shinji inwardly cringed at first at how loud he thought Hisako was being, but ended up smiling at how much she really sounded like Hikari at the moment.

Taking the phone, Shinji decided to play his role. "Honey? I love you," created understanding smiles and giggles from the ladies of the section and sympathetic looks from the men.

Laughing, Asuka was a little slow to reply. "I love you to Baka. Go have dinner and call me later."

"Sure will."

As they completed their good-byes and Shinji closed his phone, he was unceremoniously hauled to his feet by the section as they trooped off to dinner.

* * *

_Karaoke – Later That Evening_

* * *

Dinner had gone well. It had gone so well that the entire cello section and Machida were at a karaoke bar. Beer and soda was flowing prodigiously and most of the section had lived up to the stereotype of instrumentalists not being able to sing well. But, the caring factor had slid to what Shinji assumed to be an all-time low based on the amount of beer that had been consumed and how good a time everyone was having.

Hisako had kicked off the evening with a J-Pop tune that was surprisingly good, or surprisingly not bad depending on point of view, and had then proceeded to harangue everyone into doing a tune starting with Machida. Shinji had remained outside the line of fire up until one of the younger members of the section mentioned to Hisako that Shinji was lead singer in a rock band. Machida then piled on with comments that he had gone to the coffee shop concert and was impressed. This all resulted in the entire group chanting for a performance. It was at this point that Machida also brought up the video from the band's website on the large screen. A thoroughly embarrassed Shinji watched his section mates hoot and holler at Kensuke and Yuki's master piece.

Hisako dragged Shinji to the microphone, and the two of them did a raucous duet once Shinji got past the initial stanza. The peer pressure and the performance adrenaline then kept him on stage for three more tunes. Unbeknownst to Shinji, halfway through his duet, Machida got a speculative look in his eyes and replayed some of the band's video on his phone. A quick nod of his head and some text messages began to flow out of the room. The last bit of the last message had just left the phone as Hisako's hand snapped the phone shut and ripped it from Machida's hand.

"We're here to have fun, not to work!" she declared with a joyful, beeriness. Tossing the phone into her bag, she declared "Two song and one round of drinks penalty for inappropriate work during the party!"

"PENALTY!" roared the section as Machida waived his hands in acquiescence to the crowd.

* * *

_Train – Saturday Afternoon_

* * *

Shinji sat on the train buried deep into the music from his headphones. He was grateful that Asuka had bought the more expensive, noise-cancelling variety that helped blot out the various conversations around him. Shinji was exhausted. The group had been out late the night before, and he'd had trouble sleeping once he did get back to the room.

It hadn't been obvious the night before why he could not seem to get comfortable and fall asleep, but it was readily apparent sitting on the train getting closer to home. Asuka wasn't there. He had a hard time feeling comfortable without her. He had fun with everyone, and it was a good time overall. But, there wasn't the same completeness. Shinji was having a hard time conceptualizing his feelings or the different feelings when Asuka wasn't that nearly constant presence in his life.

In his mind's eye, he could picture her down to the smallest detail – happy, sad, confused, whatever situation he could think of. The images became so strong that he could almost feel her presence. Coupled with the fact that every passing moment and each little bump of the train on the tracks brought him closer to her, it was enough to allow him to finally fall asleep.

* * *

_Train Station – Saturday Evening_

* * *

Rei, Misato, and Asuka stood next to the infamous blue Alpine waiting for a certain teenager to exit the station. There had been a brief flurry of phone calls as Shinji updated them on his progress returning from the concert. Misato was on the phone arranging a night out with the gang from NERV and mostly oblivious to the activity around her. Asuka was on the phone with Hikari discussing the frustrations associated with dealing with the Stooge Nation. Interestingly enough, Rei was people watching.

She had almost a savant's ability to acquire, categorize, and store information. But, thanks mainly to Asuka, Shinji, and Hikari, she could now interpret and speculate about that information. Her attention had just passed from a small group of 5th grade girls who, to Rei, were obviously talking about boys. There was a lot of giggling and blushing. Some rather loud denials of crushes had also erupted into fits of laughter and pouting. Rei's new observation target was a group of salary men. They appeared to be headed to dinner after a Saturday spent rescuing their company from some calamity. She noted the lull in their conversation as they watched a group of office ladies heading in the opposite direction and the resumption of the conversation as they left the field of view. A little "harrumph" escaped Rei's lips as she captured the typical male behavior.

"Annoying isn't it that their hentai behavior never truly goes away?" pondered Asuka.

Broken out of her observations, Rei glanced at Asuka and merely gave a small nod. It had bothered her at first that all boys seemed to constantly be aware of the girls they thought were pretty. After the long, girl-talk sessions, Rei had come to an understanding about that behavior – not acceptance, but maybe something closer to détente. At least it didn't infuriate her as it had in the past. Of course, neither of them spoke of the similar boy-watching activity they and their classmates continually participated in. That sort of paradox had already been rationalized away because of the fact that boys were just perverted unlike girls.

At roughly the same moment, Shinji was collecting his cello and bag from luggage racks near the doors of the train and was then stepping onto the platform. Luckily, the train was not very full and the platform not crowded. He quickly scanned the signs and got his bearings and then headed towards the correct platform exit. As he exited the station, he quickly began to scan the area. The visual clues of blue hair, red hair, and red jacket quickly registered, and he reset the shoulder strap of his cello case and headed towards his family.

Rei was the first to see him. He saw her wave and call out "Onii-chan!" Shinji saw Asuka's face turn and it blossomed from happy to joyously beautiful. The artist in him felt as if a window onto the sun had just opened and bathed him in warmth.

At his return wave, she immediately raced over to give him a quick hug and welcome home. Asuka and Misato were following along in Rei's wake and arrived just as Rei released Shinji.

"Welcome back Shinji. Did you have a good time?" queried Misato.

"It was fun, but I'm glad to be back, Mom."

"Let's get going. Your sister convinced me to take us all to dinner instead of cooking you a surprise, 'welcome home' dinner."

Misato had already turned away and missed the grateful look Shinji passed to Rei at being spared a meal prepared by an out-of-practice Misato.

As Rei turned to follow Misato, Asuka and Shinji slipped into a quiet hug and quiet "I missed you's". For the first time, Asuka and Shinji created a quiet, alone bubble of space-time in the center of a crowded, public space. People, noise, and general chaos flowed around the little bubble like water around a stone. The breathless passion of romance novels and videos was absent from this small scene of tranquility. It was in this tranquility that the two of them soothed the small hurts of being apart. Neither of them realized that this was the first time they had been able to do this in public, nor that they would become skilled at having these little private moments in public to protect their relationship.

The young couple joined hands and headed towards the car at a brisk pace to catch up with Rei and Misato.

"Asuka, what else did we hear about the website?"

"Nothing really. Hikari, Rei, Yuki, and I are going to get together to talk about how we take this data and drive a marketing campaign. We might even be able to get some web ad revenue. Yuki and Hikari are doing some research. Hikari did say that her dad suggested that we incorporate and formalize the business deals. I did a bunch of research and have the documents ready for us to review and sign. Misato said that she'd have the lawyers at work help us _pro bono,_ and we have the petty cash to pay for the filing fees."

"Wow . . . you have really been busy in the last couple of days."

"Well, it was pretty interesting, and I needed something to do while you were off gallivanting around the country with Hisako-san," smiled Asuka as she squeezed his hand in both of hers. Lowering her voice, Asuka continued, "By the way, Rei finally dumped Hideyoshi. She's mostly over it, but hasn't decided to talk about it. If you want my advice, let her come to you and then just listen. There's nothing for you to fix as her big brother. She just needs someone to listen."

Shinji's response and the rest of their conversation was cut off as they started to load Shinji's duffel bag and cello into the car. Rei had immediately screamed "Shotgun!" the moment the hatch closed on the luggage and scrambled to the passenger seat leaving a confused Shinji to stare at Asuka.

"We watched an American movie last night and, apparently, if you want to be the one to ride in the passenger seat, you have to be the first one to 'call it' by yelling 'Shotgun!'"

"I . . . see . . . "

"You do realize that this works out for the best, right?"

It took less than two-tenths of a second for the previously random synapse firings in Shinji's brain to coalesce into the crystalline knowledge that he got to squeeze into the backseat with Asuka if Rei was in the passenger seat. A heartwarming smile formed in the next moment as he nodded his agreement.

"Good. Now, be a good Baka and open the door so we can go get dinner."

* * *

_Later That Evening_

* * *

Rei, Asuka, and Shinji were crowded around Asuka's desk going over the various pieces of research that Asuka had compiled around forming companies and the notes she had taken. Rei had filled four pages of various figures running financial scenarios. It was an amazing amount of work for what was essentially an evening and a morning's worth of activity.

Asuka had found some websites that showed step by step instructions for incorporating and had also done research into the market. She had also linked back to her old college's business department to get some interesting material on "competitive advantage" and "market segmentation". It was obvious that Rei had taken some scenarios that Asuka had written out and done a financial projection. As they explained it to him, Shinji realized that the financial projections were simple arithmetic with the most advanced thing being the "geometric infinite series" that they had studied at the beginning of the year and that they mostly hinged on only letting one variable change at a time in the scenario along with some guesswork. What Shinji found really amazing was that Asuka's business research and scenarios felt more like their sortie planning meetings and Misato's battle plan briefings than reading the business section of the paper.

"If I understand this, and I'm not sure that I do," started Shinji as he leaned back in his chair, "we shouldn't be in the music business but in the online advertising business?"

"That's what Rei's financial analysis points to. We haven't really done any original stuff, so we'd have to pay royalties on nearly everything we do musically which would practically destroy what little margin we could squeeze out also because we'd have to get real lawyers to negotiate with the people who own the rights. That would take forever. We should trade on the popularity of the band right now and make money from the number of people coming onto the site."

"That's . . . that's just . . . amazing! It's like hitting them in the flank after feinting the frontal assault."

"You may bask in my brilliance to your heart's content," laughed Asuka.

"Shinji, you just have to realize that Asuka has applied her training from Misato to our current situation. If you'll notice on this page here," continued Rei as she pulled a sample organization chart out of the pile of paper. "She's even made initial assignments based on the relative strengths and weaknesses of everyone involved. When we went over it this morning, it all seemed very straightforward."

"I think that's what I think is so amazing about this. None of the pieces of this by themselves are significant stretches or particularly visionary. It's the whole picture of those mostly ordinary pieces that's so fantastic! It's like making gold out of lead."

"You have been reading too many of those old _Full Metal Alchemist_ manga again," declared Asuka as Shinji leaned over and gave her a big, sloppy kiss.

"Maybe. Did you guys think about Machida's proposal that the three of us be models for the program for the next concert?"

"Sort of. What kind of concert is it supposed to be? By the way, I can't take you seriously if you keep slobbering on your girlfriend like that."

"Yeah, it was just a bit too sloppy," came Asuka reply as she reached for the tissue box.

"Ok, ok. Anyways, Machida told me that it's a pops concert, so that means more modern music. Don't forget that 'modern' to him means composers that lived within the last 100 years."

Putting on her CEO game face, Asuka's response was practically their negotiating blue print. "We can certainly have the discussion. Since he's essentially leveraging our popularity to bring in a younger demographic, we should be able to get buy in for things like putting our website on the program along with some additional paid links by the Philharmonic."

Rei and Shinji just quietly stared at Asuka noticing that her gaze had turned inwards as she started on the tactical problem of dealing with Machida.

"I think we probably won't ask for money, but for tickets, space in the program, and other items in trade since we may not be incorporated by then." As Asuka's gaze refocused on Shinji and Rei, confusion and annoyance crossed her face. "What?"

"It's a little spooky when she does that, isn't it?" commented Shinji.

"She's_your_ girlfriend."

"Sarcasm? From you? What happened to sticking together as a family?"

"She uses big words, too. Did they confuse you? Kensuke and Toji are still plowing through the dictionary to figure out what 'demographic' means. I'm pretty sure that their efforts have run into trouble because they can't spell it."

"You will NOT talk about me like I'm not here!" roared Asuka, effectively silencing both brother and sister, who incidentally stuck her tongue out at her older brother.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Asuka focused on Shinji. "Your answer is obviously 'yes' we have thought about it since the text messages came in last night, but we're all going to need to sit down and talk about it before any real decisions can be made. Misato hasn't even decided if she'll let us do this. You know how she really wants us to keep a lower profile. We're not that far removed from the big argument we had about the website."

That brought them all back to the reality that their lives weren't completely their own and that they would never really have normal lives. The argument around the website had been fairly heated. The memories of the various groups all wanting a piece of their fame or their pound of flesh were still very vivid. The website had not seemed to inflame any of that, but the Magi still closely monitored the traffic on the site and Section 2 used it as an investigative starting point for some things that the Children really weren't supposed to know about. In fact, that was only reason Misato had finally agreed to the web site – Section 2 could use it as a method for smoking out people who were _too_ interested in the Children.

Shinji's yawn triggered sympathy yawns from both Asuka and Rei.

As the apartment darkened and quiet had descended, Asuka quietly assumed her accustomed spot snuggled against Shinji. Her sleepy voice was hushed and nearly lost in the soft noises of the city.

"It's much nicer when you're here."

"I was thinking the same thing."

----

**Author's Parting Shots**: As most of you can tell, we're starting to approach the conclusion of this little soiree. I have some ideas on follow up stories, but haven't finalized how many chapters it's really going to take for me to tie this off.


	27. Transients

"We're the Band"

Chapter 26: Transients

* * *

_Morning – Tokyo-3 Airport_

* * *

Shinji sat in his usual spot next to Asuka, but in stark contrast to her, Shinji was a nervous, fidgeting wreck. Asuka sat quietly, legs crossed, reading a business journal. Shinji sat with his knees bouncing up and down, fingers twitching on his legs, and his breathing slowly but steadily increasing in rapidity and shallowness. Outwardly, he just looked like someone who didn't like to fly. Inwardly, it was a radically different story.

The decision to go to Germany came when the school had to shut down for some emergency maintenance – a recently found structural problem left over from the Angel Wars – and with classroom space at a premium, they were just delayed and the educational system had decided to extend their classroom hours once the fix was made. Rei was actually overjoyed to be able to take a true trip as a tourist. Misato was overjoyed to be able to drink German beer and reconnect with some old acquaintances from her time at NERV Germany. Shinji looked at this trip with dread.

While Shinji had learned enough German to get by from Asuka, his real anxiety source was the fact that he was meeting her parents. It was a significant step in their relationship, and he desperately wanted it to go well. Lurking in the back of his mind, he also wanted Asuka's reunion with her parents to go well. She'd worked very hard over the past months at patching up the relationship via phone and webcam, but those vehicles just didn't have the same impact as being there. To crown this tower of anxiety, his subconscious was quietly hinting that this would be a good opportunity to ask Asuka's father an important question, but Shinji's consciousness refused to even acknowledge that possibility with everything else that had to happen before then. The only saving point in all of this was that at the very least, Shinji wasn't sweating heavily with all of the nervousness and the prospect of a long flight ahead of them.

A warm hand gently stilled Shinji's twitching fingers. Looking over at the hand's owner, Shinji saw that she had a small smile on her face as she continued to read her magazine.

"Just relax. It will all be fine."

Still a little wild around the eyes, Shinji could only blurt out "But, how do you know?"

"Because, I am omniscient and omnipotent."

"But . . . how can you be so certain?"

Closing her magazine and lightly bonking him on the head with it like a puppy, "Baka Shinji. They will love you just like I love you and for the same reasons. If they don't, they will just have to endure it because I love you. You will be fine because I, the Great Asuka, will protect my poor Invincible Shinji from the dreaded parents. Now, leave it alone before I get mad and have to beat you severely."

She had easily defused the bundle of anxious energy that was threatening to boil over. She entwined her fingers in his, and the safety pin in the grenade was again in place. She could feel the calm from her hand engulf him like a warm blanket. His grip on her hand firmed up as if it was his only anchor in the bubble of calm that Asuka had created for them. Shinji's eyes glanced away from her face and saw the hustle and bustle of an airline terminal as if through a haze, shut away in a harmless place. As his eyes returned, he at once took in her slightly amused expression and the depths of the well of her self-confidence.

Shinji stretched out on his side across a couple of seats and, with Asuka's encouragement, used her lap as a pillow. Asuka unrolled her journal with her free hand. The other was clutched to Shinji's chest like a teddy bear against the fears of the unknown. Shinji lay there for what felt like the passing of ages. The shadows of turning pages periodically crossing his vision as the music from his player drowned out the white noise of the terminal. His introspection traversed the major flow of his life and how he never could have imagined finding friends or family or love in what had been such a cruel world that had crushed all but a tiny spark of his faith in the possibility of happiness. The winter sunshine was bright but not terribly warm and a little voice in the back of his head started whispering that Asuka's birthday was rapidly approaching. He'd been spared much of the gift giving as the world restarted itself after 3I, but birthdays were the one thing that demanded observance. As his mind drifted, his subconscious began working on the problem of what to give Asuka. Knowing her personality, the key characteristics were quickly established: highest quality, direct from the heart, meaningful, personal instead of generic. Not an easy task when she had the financial means to buy whatever she wanted.

As Shinji began to stow their luggage in the overhead bins, he was suddenly disoriented. It was like the effects of Instrumentality flickering in and out of his consciousness. The narcotic and seductive cocoon of what he'd always wanted in stark contrast to what his life was with the sudden fear that he was still in Instrumentality. He heard a baby cry further back in coach and was relieved. This was _real_. Babies didn't cry in Instrumentality because everyone was one gooey blob of happiness and satisfaction. Shinji had to admit that his life was light years beyond what he would have hoped for but that pain and risk were still there.

"Baka, sit _down_, already. You're blocking the aisle."

Startled out of his reverie, he automatically sat down at Asuka's order eliciting a snicker from Rei on the other side of the business class aisle with Misato. Rei leaned towards him to softly say, "You're whipped."

If Shinji needed proof that he was not in Instrumentality, that was it. Being teased by Rei was not on anyone's "must have" list.

"Whipped? Where'd you even hear that phrase?"

"Asuka's right. You're a baka. Girls talk, Shinji-kun. You have company you know. Toji and Kensuke have also reached 'whipped' status."

Just as Shinji was going to deliver his rebuttal, Asuka garnered his attention with a hand on his knee.

"See? Whipped."

"Rei?" queried Misato as she settled into her seat.

"Yes, Mom?"

"Let's have détente between you and your brother for, say, the next twenty thousand kilometers. A full blown argument would probably get us sent back to coach."

"okay," sighed Rei as her primary entertainment was suddenly taken from her.

* * *

_Many hours and connections later – Evening in Berlin_

* * *

It had been a fairly low-key, almost perfunctory family reunion at the airport. Their plane had been delayed by weather and everyone was tired. In the ride to the Soryu residence the conversations started to liven up as the extended family whipped down the autobahn. Asuka's father and Misato began to catch up on common acquaintances. Asuka and her mother had progressed passed awkward into normal mother / daughter "what have you been doing" and "why have you been doing that" patterns. Shinji and Rei were plastered against the windows drinking in the sights of a brand new country. Everything was new: street signs in German, driving on the other side of the road, fashion, architecture, cars, people, and most of all - scale. Things were bigger in Europe. Not a lot bigger, but still bigger than in Japan with the newness of the experience amplifying the differences.

It was exciting. Rei and Shinji were like blank sketchbooks that the images of a new adventure were rapidly trying to imprint themselves on. The fatigue of the journey was washed away in the excitement. Even little things like how people stood and looked around showed up as different and were noted by the two teens.

They pulled into a nice neighborhood with trees, kids playing, and neat townhouses. Pulling into the driveway, the car was unpacked of both luggage and people in short order. Reconvening in the house, Rei followed Asuka to Asuka's room to unpack and change. Misato and Shinji headed to the guest room to also get cleaned up as Asuka's mother began the makings of a light meal.

It was late evening. The remains of dinner were quietly being cleaned up by Misato and Asuka's mother. Rei was engrossed in German television – rapidly filling in her German slang and enraptured by the sheer difference from Japanese TV. Asuka's father was reading a paper. The gentle noise of the turning pages passing through the open window to the patio where, on the patio swing, Asuka had snuggled up to Shinji to enjoy the afterglow of the day.

"This is almost better than sitting on our park bench," ventured Shinji.

"Just 'almost'?"

"Well, it's hard to fit a whole lake with a sunset into a suburban backyard. But, I do like the swinging bench."

"Maybe we'll donate one with our company name on it for advertising as well."

"I can feel them watching us."

"They're probably gossiping madly about us."

"Really?"

"Baka. You can be so gullible at times. They're probably talking about us, but it's probably more parent stuff than gossip, but with Misato, you never know. But, they're parents Shinji. They'll want to all get on the same page. Besides, you know that they'll all need to be comfortable with each other, eventually."

Leaning his head back and staring straight at the sky, Shinji could only mumble his agreement. His mind threatened to whirl off on a thousand different subjects, but it was ultimately corralled by the warm presence on the swing with him.

A comfortable silence descended on the pair. The creaking of the swing mingled with the evening birdsongs and the awakening of other night noises. Their conversation continued across the multiple topics of small talk and onto their business venture.

Three adults quietly observed the pair from the kitchen table over ice cold German beer. Asuka's father quietly closed the window. "Misato, I originally thought you had pickled your brain when you asked to allow Asuka to stay in Japan. But, seeing her like this: happy and finally connecting with people her own age has certainly changed my opinion."

"I would agree," added Asuka's mother. "Over these last months, conversations with her have actually gotten closer instead of always having that distance."

"I would love to say that it was me, but I think there was Third Impact and Shinji, of course."

"I had my doubts about her seeing the late Commander's son. A father always wants what's best for his daughter and to protect her, and I'm glad that he's more like his mother than his father. He's actually more mature than I had imagined, and I only see hints of the personality outlined in his Pilot dossier. I'm pretty thankful for that since it seems that he and Asuka are now together."

"Exactly, how serious are they, Misato? I'm sure I'll get the scoop from Asuka at some point during this week, but what do you think?"

Misato studied the top of her beer bottle after a short sip. Looking back up at Asuka's parents, she set her bottle down mostly still full. "At first, I was really worried that it wouldn't last and that they'd both be hurt – maybe damaged is a better word. They are both young and very vulnerable. The more I saw them together, the more I suspect that something happened during 3I to the two of them. As you saw, they're more mature, more open. When I see them separated, I watch them grow agitated as the duration of separation drags on only to be wiped away once they see each other. I don't see that teenage, breathless passion, though. I notice that most when I see them with their friends. Their friends are mostly normal for teens, but Shinji and Asuka look like 16 going on 30 in comparison to their friends."

She took a small sip more to moisten her mouth than to actually drink before continuing. "The preliminary psych reports show that if one lost the other, they would be practically incapacitated. But, on a more human note, they're good for each other. Shinji acts as a gentle buffer for Asuka's personality, but she pushes him out of his shell and fuels ambition where he didn't have any before. It's like they have real life goals now that intertwine replacing the artificial goals we had given them from NERV. Because of that, I wouldn't be surprised if they're married as soon as they are of age. I've noticed that they have next to no interest in other boys and girls near their own age. They're pretty committed to each other."

Both Asuka's mother and father were a little startled at that. They had just gotten their daughter back only to be told that they would be giving her away soon. It was a natural step in life but not one they had really prepared themselves for given Asuka's lack of social ties in Germany.

"Misato, how close are they?" asked Asuka's mother implying the question mothers have dreaded for millennia as her gaze went to her step-daughter currently in quiet conversation outside.

"Now that's a loaded question," responded Misato more to herself than to the other adults around the table with a rueful glance at her bottle of beer. "I guess there's no other way than to just come out and say it. They're about as close as two people can get. They've had sex, and they spend large amounts of time together. On the positive side, Asuka's nightmares and Shinji's, for that matter, have mostly subsided. We've had 'The Talk', and they understand the physical and emotional implications as near as I can tell. They've been pretty open with me about the level of their relationship."

Silence reigned at the table. All three parents sat quietly thinking about the conversation that just happened and they all glanced out the window multiple times at the subjects of that conversation.

* * *

_Town Square Bier Garten – mid-Day_

* * *

Shinji and Asuka's father sat on the patio of the town's Bier Garten overlooking the square. They had arrived early to get this choice seat in preparation for the performance by the town's Gothic Cathedral clock – complete with mechanical soldiers, dancers, and other clockwork animations. The lunch getaway had spared them from following the women-folk on reunions with NERV-Germany personnel and Asuka's shopping trip into the heart of the city for her favorite toiletries and other hard to get items.

Asuka's father also took the opportunity to bond a little with Shinji. The previous hour in the car had allowed him to get the young man to open up and was more than a little surprised at how easy it had been until he considered Shinji's situation. Shinji was in desperate need of positive male role models. His tai chi instructor and the Section 2 agents had performed well as stop-gap measures, but it was very apparent that Shinji needed someone to confide in. It was also apparent to Asuka's father that Shinji had rapidly assumed the position of 'son' in his mind.

As expected, their conversation eventually found its way to Asuka.

"So, Shinji, I hear that you and Asuka are pretty serious."

"um, yes, sir," came the immediate reply causing Asuka's father to more once more regard the young man across the table from him. Shinji had devoured his lunch, and the two of them were enjoying drinks and dessert. To Asuka's father, Shinji was still a little closed. His body language was shuttered with hunched shoulder, head down into the food, and a nervous fidgeting below the table.

Taking a sip of his beer, Asuka's father decided that the boy needed the direct approach – something not consistent with his upbringing.

"Shinji, look at me."

A startled Shinji looked up and straightened his back a little.

"Shinji, let's just cut to the chase, as we used to say in America. I know you want my approval regarding Asuka. Let's also just say, that you and your sister have charmed my wife and she's already on your side, but you and I need to have a conversation about you."

"About me? I don't think I understand."

"Well, then, let's start with my current observations about you, and we can go from there. I think you're a nice boy. You're a good influence on Asuka. You've helped soften some of her rough edges. I know that I wasn't around enough to do that for her and the death of her mother just widened the rift between us on many levels."

In the pregnant pause, Asuka's father took a quiet sip of beer as the reminder of those horrible events threatened to take him again. Shinji merely waited quietly for the man to continue.

"Anyways, I do understand that you're both happy now. But, life and love is about growth. I think there are parts of Asuka's personality that you need to acquire and make your own. First and foremost, I think you need her ambition."

"Her ambition?"

"Shinji, you've done well, but only when people push you to do well. You need to strive to be excellent. I don't see you doing that on a consistent basis. Your successes are driven by the desires of others and not your own. Do you want to the best husband to Asuka? Then, drive yourself to be the best. Do you want to sit first chair? Then, prepare for the battle. Do you see what I mean? You need to build that picture of who Shinji is and drive towards that. Just, don't forget what the rules of the game really are, like your father did. Second, you need to be more sociable."

"Now, I don't mean that you have to be the life of the party like Misato or anything like that. What I mean is that you need to learn how to relate to people and how to be a part of the flow of people. For example, think about how you were sitting before. You were all sunken in. Everything about you said, 'Don't talk to me and don't look at me because I'm not here.' Be a part of life, Shinji. Relate to people.

"Before you go off and think that you need some sort of transformational event to turn this around, you don't. These are things that I think you'll be working on your whole life with Asuka. But, you need to start. If you don't, you'll always live in Asuka's shadow, socially, and that could become very corrosive to your relationship. Do you understand what I'm telling you, Shinji?"

"I . . . think so."

"Good. Finish your ice cream before you lose it because I hear the women approaching."

Shinji was lost in the ice cream and the words of Asuka's father. Just as Asuka gave him a little kiss on the cheek, it dawned on Shinji that Asuka's father already thought of him as a son and had given tacit approval. Asuka, of course, took the big smile on Shinji's face as being for her. It was, in a way, but Shinji saw no reason to alter her thinking.

The girls had arrived just in time. As their drinks arrived, the clock tower began to chime and the throngs of people all stilled. On the face of the enormous Gothic church, little doors opened and mechanical minstrels marched to the bells and drums hidden deep within the church. An army of dancers, animals, and toy soldiers took to the stage to perform to the music box of the church.

During the entire performance, Rei just sat entranced. The intricate choreography and the precision of the mechanisms and the order of the little performance just tickled a child-like joy within Rei. It was so powerful, that the camera sat unnoticed in her hands as she totally focused on the performance in front of her. She was still staring at the church façade as the performance ended and the crowds began to move off.

"Rei-chan. Rei-chan, Earth to Rei-chan," teased Misato.

"um . . . oh . . . I didn't get any pictures," pouted Rei as the group laughed and Asuka's mother gently patted Rei's hand.

"It's ok, Rei. We can come back tomorrow and get some pictures for you."

* * *

**Author's Parting Shots**: Well, my wife went and bought DDR for the Wii and is it just me or does one of the characters look like a dead-ringer for Rei? I've never laughed so hard watching the Rei-like character dance to high speed hip hop. I need to work that into the story somehow . . .

The Church Clock in the town square is what I remember of the big clock in Munich when I was there a long time ago.

Also, sorry about the delay. I went and ruptured my Achilles tendon playing flag football. Between that, surgery, and starting recovery, it hasn't left much time for writing.


	28. Who Do you Love

"We're the Band"

Chapter 27: Who Do You Love?

* * *

Asuka was dog tired. She quietly massaged her aching feet as she shot reproachful glances at a certain boy who was pretending to be engrossed in music conservatory literature. Deciding that guilt wasn't working fast enough, she plopped her feet in Shinji's lap and said, "If you massage my feet after having dragged me all over creation in heels, I will translate the literature for you."

They had spent the better part of the day going to different conservatories where Shinji was researching what a classical cello education could be in the heart of Europe. Because these were impromptu interviews, Shinji had dressed for the occasion but had neglected to tell Asuka about all of the walking.

Asuka sighed with a mixture of relief and pleasure as Shinji's strong fingers began to soothe the aches in her feet. With a refreshed attitude, she began to provide Shinji with a more complete picture of the various places they had been.

It was in this mode that the rest of the family found Shinji and Asuka nearly an hour later as the foursome burst through the door. Four excited voices finally coalesced into a single voice owned, surprisingly, by one Rei Ikari.

" . . . what they're all trying to say is that we passed the coolest restaurant on the way home. It's this retro place that plays a bunch of music from the 1970's and 1980's. They have retro furniture and depending on where you sit, they have sections where the waiters and waitresses talk like the period. I saw a disco section and a 'valley girl' section. Here's the best part. They have a _stage_ where they have live music, too! Asuka's mom and dad said we can go tonight! You're getting ready, right?"

With the high speed monologue at a close with the emphatic command housed within a question, Shinji just smiled at his over-energized sister. Asuka looked at her parents and Misato with a more questioning look that finally erupted into an accusation.

"You're supposed to be the adult supervision! How did you let her get this sugared-up?"

"Well, we were shopping and before we knew it, Rei had spent a significant amount of time in a candy store," came the suitably chastened reply from Misato. "Really, your parents didn't know we had to watch for this."

Asuka merely glared at the three adults. As she refocused her gaze on Rei, she had found that Rei had come over to the couch and was busy showing Shinji the pounds of German candy that she had bought. Her gleeful look was stilled for a moment as Shinji tried to keep her from spreading the candy out across the entire living room floor.

"Rei, why don't we just put this on your bed? That way, we can get ready to go to the restaurant."

Fueled by refined sugar, Rei was off like a shot to her room to stockpile her booty. Shinji just shook his head as he recalled the various, sugar episodes of recent memory from the strawberries and cream movie night to a strange, soda induced bass solo at a recent band practice.

It wasn't very long before the entire family was seated near the stage in the 80's new wave section. With drinks orders given to their Madonna look-a-like waitress and appetizers arriving from a waiter with Flock of Seagulls hair, everyone seemed to have settled in to a having a fun time.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rei caught the band whispering and glancing at their table. With a small movement, she passed the mini-alert to Shinji, Asuka, and Misato. While outwardly calm and relaxed, Misato especially became much more alert to the flow of people around the table and the band. Her hand surreptitiously slipped into her purse as one of the band members made a nervous approach to the table.

It was Asuka who fixed him with a stare that caused the young man to halt and fidget.

"I . . . um . . . that is . . . ", the young man swallowed convulsively and the words then just blurted out, "Are you 'Makes Purple'?"

Asuka's parents sat mostly confused. They had heard the band name once or twice, but not enough for it to truly register. Misato just eased her hand out of her purse with an almost imperceptible relaxation in the tension around her eyes. As expected, Asuka answered for the band.

"We're in the band, yes. Did you want an autograph?"

"That's so cool!" announced the young man who began waving excitedly to his fellow band mates. Soon, each of them had produced some sort of piece of memorabilia for the teens to sign. Rei and Shinji fielded most of the questions as Asuka began to make some notes on Rei's ever-present little pad of paper. She was writing furiously and as Shinji glanced over, he caught the words "global presence and influence" in a long stream of what he assumed to be business jargon.

"So, Ikari-san, what did you think of the last set? Please be honest with us as another musician," begged the lead singer.

"Well, I was focused on the menu and didn't really pay much attention."

"Please, it would mean a lot to us."

Rei immediately saw why her brother was hesitating. He didn't want to hurt their feelings. She had noticed that the band was, at best, average and couldn't even come close to the musical ability that 'Makes Purple' had accomplished in a short couple of months. Shinji obviously didn't want to crush their passion just because they didn't happen to be good.

"Shinji, why don't you just play a tune with them and let them hear the difference?" suggested Rei.

Shinji was suddenly bombarded with requests to take the stage including random people at tables near them that had heard the exchange, and the most enthusiastic were Asuka's parents. They had heard from Misato about Shinji's stage presence, and they wanted to feel it for themselves. With only some additional prodding from Asuka, Shinji trudged to the stage.

His presence got some strange looks from customers farther out from the epicenter of the disturbance and management alike, but some quick words to the manager from the lead singer soon got that under control. Meanwhile, Shinji began tinkering with the lead singer's guitar. It was a little out of tune and while he was tuning it, Shinji also toyed with the effects pedals until he got the sound he was looking for.

Shinji spent a few minutes talking to the rest of the band to find out if the tune that he had in mind was doable for them. Standing in front of the drummer's riser, Shinji had his back to the audience as he was showing the drummer the tempo and the rhythm guitar and bass players the chord progressions that he wanted. Satisfied that they could keep up, Shinji reached into a pants pocket and retrieved his sunglasses. With a little flick of the wrist, he opened them and put them on generating a few whistles and catcalls from Rei, Asuka, Misato, and some of the other teens in the restaurant. Some of the wait staff had taken the opportunity to gather for the novelty of having a customer willing to perform with the band. Asuka's parents were a little apprehensive. Shinji's stage presence was starting to ramp up and the obvious effects were more than they were used to.

"Here's a little tune I came across on the net," mumbled Shinji into the microphone. "It's 'Who do you Love?' by George Thorogood and the Destroyers."

Shinji hit the opening blues chords with the steel guitar feel and rough distortion. It was almost like he had a piece of pipe over the middle finger of his chord hand and had slipped back into the hey-day of the blues guitar heroes. When his voice came out, it had that characteristic rasp and iconic drawl.

_I walked forty-seven miles of barbed wire, I got a cobra snake for a necktie_

_A brand new house on the road side, and it's a-made out of rattlesnake hide_

_Got a band new chimney put on top, and it's a-made out of human skull_

_Come on take a little walk with me baby, and tell me who do you love?_

_Who do you love?_

_Who do you love?_

Asuka had finally relaxed. It had taken months, but she finally felt comfortable. She felt like a teenage girl. Smart, beautiful, successful, and, now, free from the expectations that had always inhibited the fun parts of her considerable intellect that were now applied full time to the problem of living life to the fullest. It was this part of her that suddenly hauled Rei to her feet and dragged her to the front of the stage in time to scream, "I love you!" in answer to the questions in the lyrics and get the patented rock-star smile from Shinji.

_Around the town I use a rattlesnake whip, take it easy baby don't you give me no lip_

_Who do you love?_

_Who do you love?_

Asuka's outburst triggered the expected response. Soon, the stage, Asuka, and Rei were surrounded by other screaming teens as the simple tune turned into a full blown performance. The rest of the novice band members were dumbstruck and playing on automatic pilot. They had never been a part of anything like this where they were at the epicenter of such an Event. It was like being in the eye of Hurricane Shinji.

_I've got a tombstone hand and a graveyard mind, I'm just twenty-two and I don't mind dying_

_Who do you love?_

_Who do you love?_

_Who do you love?_

In response to Asuka's enthusiastic and heartfelt "I love you's" from front and center, Shinji, ever the showman, gave her a glance over the top of his sunglasses and blew her a kiss. Of course, every girl in the vicinity of Asuka thought it was directed at them, and it triggered another screaming crush towards the stage. All of this was completely ignored as Shinji slid into a short riff including a long glissando.

_Now Asuka took a-me by my hand, she said "Lonesome Shinji you don't understand,_

_who do you love?"_

Asuka and Rei grabbed each other with one arm and thrust the other into the air and screamed their approval as Shinji slid Asuka's name into the tune. All of the girls around them now knew for certain who that kiss had been meant for.

_The night were dark and the sky were blue, down the alleyway a house wagon flew_

_Hit a bump and somebody screamed, you should've heard what I'd seen_

_Who do you love?_

_Who do you love?_

_Who do you love?_

_Who do you love?_

As Shinji slid into an extended solo surrounded by screaming teens, Asuka's parents sat next to a smiling Misato utterly flabbergasted. They had been to concerts together and had cut loose in their day, but they were just not prepared for the amount of energy being generated. The knockout punch in this combination were the actions of Asuka and Shinji. Seeing their daughter finally _be_ a teen with friends and a boyfriend, having fun, and letting go the weight of the expectations heaped upon her sent them reeling especially with Shinji suddenly transformed into a stage icon blowing kisses at their daughter.

Asuka's father in particular was surprised at the difference in presence between Shinji at the table and Shinji on the stage. He'd never seen anything so dramatic before. His brows furrowed in concentration as he tried to come to grips with the new information.

_Yeah, I've got a tombstone hand in a graveyard mine, just twenty-two baby I don't mind dying_

_Snake skin shoes baby put them on your feet, got the goodtime music and the Bo Diddley beat_

_Who do you love?_

_Who do you love?_

_I walked forty-seven miles of barbed wire, I got a cobra snake for a necktie_

_A brand new house on the road side, and it's made out of rattlesnake hide_

_Got a band new chimney put on top, and it's made out of human skull_

_Come on take a little walk with me child, tell me who do you love?_

_Who do you love?_

_Who do you love?_

The screaming teens drowned out the fading chords from the amplifier, so Shinji gave a little wave to the crowd and then turned to hand the guitar back to the stunned boy who had first come to their table. As he exited the stage a blur of red and blue lanced through the crowd.

The red streak flung herself into Shinji's arms and tightened her own about his neck laughing with an unbridled joy. The blue streak wrapped the all of them in an inclusive hug as their combined laughter and smiles radiated out from the swarming mass of teens.

As Asuka and Shinji extracted themselves from the crush of teens, Rei was immediately surrounded by hordes of girls wanting everything from autographs to beauty and dating tips. Rei politely tried to give everyone a little something – a smile, a signature, or a brief chat. When she began to make her way back to the table, she had a stuffed rabbit shoved into her hands from a young girl who nervously stammered something along the lines of "you're just the greatest" causing Rei to kneel down and give the girl a hug and thank you for which she was rewarded with a near strangling hug in return.

* * *

_Late That Night – Langley Soryu Household_

* * *

Three adults were gathered in a small kitchen lit by a small fluorescent tube. Condensation caressed tall bottles of German beer. Empties lay like fallen soldiers on the table. It had been an hour since the last teen had wandered off to bed and thirty minutes since the first beer reached the table. The edge was gone, but the buzz hadn't quite settled in.

"Misato, I must say that I've never seen Asuka act so . . . normal," ventured Asuka's mother.

"All three of them have started to fit back into normal patterns. But, I think Asuka's transformation has been the biggest."

"Really? Even bigger than Rei's?"

"Well, Rei was more . . . stifled than anything. With all of the pressure off, she's just a very young girl, emotionally. Asuka's personality was very entrenched. She'd had years in very familiar and fixed patterns."

"But, they haven't really been back that long. Was it something in Instrumentality that triggered this?"

Misato paused and considered the concerned faces of Asuka's parents. She had gotten the entire story from Rei regarding Shinji and Asuka's head start on the rest of the world, but it seemed like such a private thing that she wasn't sure she could really break that confidence. The bond between parents slowly asserted itself in Misato's mind, and with a small shake of her head, she decided that Asuka's parents deserved to know the truth.

"What Rei told me was that it wasn't Instrumentality, per se. It seems that while the rest of Humanity was kind of suspended in time in Instrumentality, Asuka and Shinji came back to the real world. As near as Rei and I can figure out, they had what was, subjectively, weeks to 'sort themselves out' as my British friends would say."

"Subjective weeks?"

"Well, this is where Ritsuko would be better at explaining it, but it's like they were in a joint Instrumentality or a mini-Instrumentality just for them, but away from the rest of us. Nobody really knows why they were there, but it was obvious that they had to do something for the rest of us to have the chance to leave Instrumentality. It was in that little, personal bubble reality that they had all of those hard conversations that couples have when they've had a fight. From what little Shinji has let out, some of the fights were really big, and the conversations were really hard."

"Hmm. No wonder."

"Shinji did say that they did make up, but before you start jumping to conclusions, there wasn't anything age inappropriate. However, it did provide for some really good teasing moment for Shinji, but for Asuka, it's been like the chains on her true personality have finally come off."

"That's a good way of putting it. She's open, now. Her emotions aren't so . . . bottled up, waiting to explode. From a personal benefit, I don't feel like I have to be walking on egg shells all of the time wondering if she's going to explode. I also see her putting more of herself into friends. Does she have a lot of friends in Tokyo-3?"

"Well, that's my main concern. She still has the friends you already know about – Hikari, Kensuke, and Touji, but I don't really see her expanding her circle of friends. The only candidate I know about is one of the girls in the orchestra. I think she'd be open to more new friends, but she hasn't built up the social skills to actively obtain them. The people who do come up to her are still passed through the very fine Asuka-filter for sycophants."

Their conversation continued well into the early morning hours.

* * *

_Airport_

* * *

"Shinji-nii san? Can I have my bunny?"

Shinji didn't even turn around. He merely handed down the stuffed rabbit out of Rei's bag in the overhead bin. It was quickly snatched and tucked under the thin blanket already wrapped about Rei as the group prepared for their long flight back to Japan. Closing the bin, Shinji returned to his seat next to Asuka, music player in hand.

It had been a hectic morning trying to pack their last minute items and ship home the multitude of souvenirs and supplies. It seemed to Shinji that there just wasn't an open office supply store anywhere in the city where one could buy boxes and packing tape suitable for international shipments.

Asuka had her book bag open on the floor in front of her. On the tray table, the latest printouts of the documents Michida had emailed over about the pops concert promotions. It contained proposed schedules, preliminary promotional opportunities, and sample promotional items.

As the flight took off, Shinji and Asuka spent the majority of the flight pouring over the documents, making notes, and sorting through the possibilities.

--

**Author's Parting Shots**: Next chapter, we're back in Tokyo-3


End file.
